West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service is urging revellers to take care during the Royal celebrations this Diamond Jubilee Weekend.
While most people are looking forward to an extra-long Bank Holiday weekend, it will be business as usual for firefighters across the county. While they want everyone to celebrate the Queen’s special milestone in style, alcohol, especially when mixed with warmer weather, can fuel a rise in fires and road accidents.
Assistant Chief Fire Officer Craig McIntosh, Director of Fire Safety, said: “We want everyone to have a wonderful weekend celebrating the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee with friends and family. However, alcohol does lower people’s inhibitions and mean they take more risks. Please give our firefighters a break too this Jubilee weekend and celebrate safely.”
WYFRS offers the following advice:
•Never drink alcohol while cooking
•Never leave cooking unattended – both on the hob or on the barbecue. Fire starts when your attention stops!
•Under no circumstances use water on hot oil. This will cause it to explode into a fireball
•Keep children and pets away from pans and barbecues
•Stand portable barbecues on an even surface and make sure they are away from the house, fences and sheds
•Only use approved lighter fuels. NEVER use petrol. Lighter fuels must be applied before lighting
•Never pour oil onto meat when it is cooking
•Empty ashes from barbecues onto bare garden soils and not into dustbins or wheelie bins. If they are hot, they can melt the plastic, cause a fire and can even spread to property
•Keep a bucket of sand or water nearby when using charcoal barbeques
•When changing gas cylinders, try to do so in the open air and ensure the tap is turned off first
•On the roads, don’t be tempted to drink and drive. You may think one short journey will not make a difference, but it could be the biggest mistake you ever make.
For further information visit http://www.saferlife.co.uk/safer-summer/. Don’t forget to folllow us on Twitter and Facebook for all the latest news and safety updates!
