Local authorities issue key braai safety tips to prevent severe burn injuries
Emergency services urge residents to double-check firelighter ingredients, keep extinguishers handy, and teach children vital emergency responses ahead of summer gatherings.
Local authorities are urging residents to follow key fire safety measures to prevent severe injuries.
Long summer days are usually synonymous with families and friends standing around a braai, but one wrong move can ruin the day or the rest of your life.
Before lighting a fire, ensure that you are familiar with the product and its safety instructions. Always store flammable materials in a dry, well-ventilated area away from the braai or fireplace, and keep matches, lighters, and firelighters in child-safe containers out of reach.
When purchasing lighting agents, check expiry dates and ingredients, and avoid inhaling fumes released when opening containers. Use a long-handled lighter to ignite products to minimise the risk of burn injuries to hands.
Child safety around flames
Children must never be allowed to light braai fires and should be kept at a safe distance from all flames. Educate children on fire hazards and teach them never to play with fire.
Exercise extra caution when using strongly scented firelighters, as rapid ignition can occur due to high fluid concentration. Use only the minimum amount of igniting agent required, and never use flammable liquids such as petrol, paraffin, or benzene, or aerosol cans, to start or boost a fire.
Keep a fire extinguisher near the braai area or gas grill, keep emergency numbers accessible, and ensure all fires are fully extinguished before leaving the area.
If clothing catches fire, remember to stop, drop, and roll until the flames are extinguished. For burn injuries, cool the affected area immediately with cool running water, do not remove clothing stuck to the wound, and transport the patient to a medical facility as quickly as possible.
In case of a fire, contact 107 (toll-free) or 012 358 6300/6400.
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