24 Aug 2020

Members of the public have been advised to minimize fire risks at home and workplace.

Divisional fire officer, Mr Lindani Maphorisa, said this in an interview in Serowe on Friday.

He said people should improve conditions of their workplace or homes as far as fire risk management was concerned.

He said they received 78 fires  break reports since April and recorded two deaths in road accidents.

Mr Maphorisa said issues such as type of materials handled at the workplace, construction site risks and record keeping were some of the many issues that should be put in mind to minimize fire risks.

He urged people to practice healthy housekeeping, and avoid overcrowding property in storerooms.

He said overcrowded property made it difficult to escape in the case of a fire breakout.

Mr Maphorisa also said it was important to keep offices and homes tidy at all times.

“You should not leave materials susceptible to fires lying around because they are responsible for transferring fire from one room to the other,” he said.

He said people should familiarise themselves with their buildings and know the internal linings, adding that companies and individuals should practice fire drills once in a while.  

He also said it was important to have a fire escape plan.

Mr Maphorisa said overloading sockets, leaving cooking gas open and cooking pots unattended, using unapproved electrical devices and smoking cigarettes inside the house should be avoided.

Furthermore, he said overheating of equipment should also be avoided and that parents should not let children use electrical equipment without supervision.

He said use of candles was also a potential fire hazard if not carefully monitored.

Mr Maphorisa advised motorists to always have fire extinguishers in their vehicles.

He said they should avoid using water to put out fire, but rather use sand.  ENDS