Winter safety tips

Winter brings its own unique set of safety challenges to everyone and more so to dwellers in informal settlements.

Ekurhuleni Disaster and Emergency Management Services (DEMS) have issued the following safety tips and precautions for residents to keep in mind at all times.

‘Be Wise, Be Safe and Stay Alive’ is the theme used to inform and educate residents on staying safe.

Candles may be pretty to look at, but are also one of the causes of home fires.

Remember, a candle is an open flame, which means that it can easily ignite anything that can burn.

Always be careful when using candles. Here are some guidelines to follow:

•  Put them on a heat resistant surface. Candles can melt plastic.
•  Put them in a proper candle holders. They need to be held firmly upright by the holder so they won’t fall over. The holder needs to be stable too, so it won’t fall over either.
•  Position them away from the curtains. Keep them out of the draughts.
•  Don’t put them under the shelves. Make sure that there is at least one meter between a candle and any surface above it.
•  Do not move them when they’re burning. Extinguish them before moving them and also don’t let anything fall into the hot wax such as match sticks.
•  Blow out all the candles when you leave the room or go to bed.
•  Avoid the use of candles in the bedroom and other areas where people may fall asleep.
•  Never leave children alone in a room with a burning candle.
•  Keep matches and lighters up high and out of children’s reach, in a locked cabinet.
• “If you do not know know how to operate it, leave it,” said William Ntladi, district manager of media liaison at Ekurhuleni Disaster and Emergency Management Services. Most of the fires are caused by negligence and lack of understanding towards heat sources.

The attitude of individuals also contributes to the number of fires that are experienced within the informal settlements, formal housings, and industrial and commercial environments.

In case of an emergency, contact 10177 or the Ekurhuleni Life Threatening Emergency Line on 011 458-0911.