Look after yoursELF this Christmas!
At South Wales Fire and Rescue Service we’re urging you to look after yoursELF and keep safety in mind whilst enjoying the festive season.
Throughout December, we’ll be sharing our 12 festive ‘Elf and safety tips’ to help keep yoursELF and your loved ones safe during the holidays.
Head of Community Safety and Partnerships for South Wales Fire and Rescue Service, Group Manager Bleddyn Jones, said:
“With the festive season once again upon us, we’re urging you to remain vigilant and to keep safety in mind while enjoying the festivities.
Whether it’s caused by unattended cooking, candles or overloaded sockets – it only takes a few seconds for a fire to start. This year we’ve drafted 12 simple ‘Elf and safety’ tips you can follow to keep yourself and others safe. Something simple like a working smoke alarm and testing it regularly could prevent tragedy.
We understand that many will share concerns around the cost-of-living crisis, and that ‘Demand Flexibility Schemes’ offered by energy suppliers to run appliances at off-peak hours may sound like a good way to reduce costs this winter. However, we’re urging you to stay alert and never leave them running unattended, especially overnight. If a fire starts while you’re asleep, you’ll have less time to be alerted and escape, putting yourself, your loved ones and your home at risk.
From everyone at South Wales Fire and Rescue Service, please stay safe and look after one another.”
It can be easy to get distracted when you’re cooking a big meal, but it only takes a few seconds for a fire to start. Fires start when your attention stops!
If you’re planning on cooking a festive feast at home this year, stay vigilant and never leave cooking unattended, especially around children.
In the event of a fire in your kitchen, get out, stay out and call 999.
For top tips on keeping safe, please visit our Cooking Safety Page.
Eat, drink and be merry – but never cook if you’re under the influence of drugs and alcohol!
If you’re out at a party or on a night out with friends, it’s best to buy food on the way home, rather than attempting to cook when you get back.
If you do want to make something when you get home, then it’s best to prepare cold food.
Over the festive period, around 1 in 4 accidental house fires we attend are caused by an electrical fault – stick to one plug per socket.
Whether it’s Christmas lights or a tumble dryer, you should never leave electrical appliances running unattended.
If you’re leaving the house or going to sleep, be sure to unplug and switch off.
Whether you’re doing some last-minute Christmas shopping or delivering presents to friends and family, please take extra care when driving – check out our advice for Driving in Wintery Conditions.
NEVER drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Is your vehicle safe and legal? Stay safe on the roads this winter and ensure all P.O.W.D.E.R.S Checks are complete.
You should never go in the water after drinking – alcohol is a contributing factor in many water related incidents as it seriously impairs your judgement, reactions and ability to swim.
Cold water shock can be a precursor to drowning. If you do end up in the water, take a minute to let the initial effects of cold-water pass. Relax and float on your back to catch your breath. Try to get hold of something that will help you float.
In an emergency, call 999 and ask for the Fire and Rescue Service if inland or Coastguard if at the coast.
Visit our Water Safety Page for more advice and guidance.
Ensure you have working smoke alarms fitted in your home and test them regularly!
See our guide on Beeping Smoke Alarms.
Having a working smoke alarm is the first crucial step to protecting yourself from fire, but what would you do if the alarm sounded?
Create and practise an Escape Plan for your household.
Before you go to sleep, it’s good safety practice to have a bedtime checklist, which includes things on the escape plan and other points to remember like closing internal doors and putting candles and cigarettes out properly.
Take a look at our Night-time Checklist Guide and see how safe your home is.
When using candles, it’s important to remember how many you have lit.
Never leave them unattended, keep them away from decorations and blow them out before you go out or go to bed.
We have more advice and guidance available on our Candle Fire Safety Page.
Over the festive season, almost half of all fires attended by our crews started from rubbish…so please don’t burn your household waste!
Contact your local authority for information on collections and recycling centres, or visit Wales Recycles.
If you have a real Christmas tree this year, discard it promptly and safely as soon as it becomes dry and never put branches or needles in a fireplace or wood burner.
For more information and safety messages please go to our website www.southwales-fire.gov.uk or follow us on our social media channels Twitter | Facebook | Instagram or why not download our Home Safety booklet.