Home > Media > Press Releases > Advice for students to stay safe
Text only
17 September 2007
Students who plan to move into rented housing for the first time this term are being urged to take extra care in their new home.
While partying, smoking and drinking is often part and parcel of student life, it can often put you at a higher risk of fire. Cigarettes, smoking materials and candles have been the cause of 1,900 student injuries over the last five years, and if you smoke, drink or use candles, you are 50 per cent more likely to have a fire.
West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service will be visiting university campuses around the county this month to offer advice and invite students to book free home fire safety checks, which include the fitting of free smoke detectors.
Brian Robson, Senior Community Fire Safety Officer for West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, offered the following basic survival tips:
-Do not leave cooking unattended. You should also take extra care when cooking with oil, as this is an extremely common cause of fire. If one does occur, never put water on it as it will turn into a fireball.
-Take extra care when smoking inside. Don’t smoke in bed and make sure you have extinguished your cigarette properly before you go to sleep.
-Keep candles away from flammable surfaces or textiles such as curtains, TVs or bath tubs and never leave them unattended. Always remember to extinguish them properly before going to sleep.
-Don’t overload plug sockets and remember to switch off electrical equipment such as hair straighteners, blow dryers and mobile phone chargers when not in use.
-Secure portable heaters up against a wall so they don’t fall over. Keep them away from curtains and furnishings and never dry clothes on them.
-Fit a smoke alarm on each level of the property and test it weekly. Remember it’s your only warning and could save you precious time in your escape. You are twice as likely to die in a fire if you do not have a working smoke alarm.
-Know your escape route. Make sure you and your housemates know the quickest way out in the event of a fire and consider an alternative route in case your usual one is blocked.