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Be on board for fire safety
Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service is supporting Boat Fire Safety Week (May 24-31) to urge the boating community to be more fire safe on board.
Although boat fires on our coastal and inland waters are less common than fires on land, when they do occur, they can have devastating consequences.
Boats are often in remote locations with difficult access, which may result in fire fighters taking longer to arrive at an incident and allowing a fire to totally destroy a boat and everything onboard.
With over 450,000 motorised boats in the UK, and a growth in boating on many inland waterways, Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service is urging the boating population to check that their boats are equipped with the correct fire safety equipment.
People who live on their boats are most affected by fire, but many fires could be prevented if boat users take simple precautions.
Rob Clow, Head of Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service's Community Safety Academy said: "Although we do not have many serious fires on boats in Northumberland, we have had four major fires and explosions since 2001 and we know that fires on boats can be extremely dangerous, so we are urging boaters to take precautions to prevent these fires types of fires happening.
"I would suggest the following tips to help keep boats safe from fire:
· Invest in detection equipment such as smoke alarms, carbon monoxide alarms and gas/flammable vapour alarms.
· When possible, don't install liquefied petroleum gas heating appliances.
· If you are unsure how to install something on your boat, get a professional to do it for you, otherwise you may install it incorrectly."
Boats present a challenging environment for smoke alarms due to high humidity, temperature extremes and vibration levels.
Optical sensor alarms with hush buttons and sealed for life batteries are recommended and alarms should meet British Standard (BS) 5446:2000 Part 1, or BS EN 14606:2005.
Boat owners should check for a British Standard 'Kitemark' or a LPCB 'Horseshoe' mark , both marks of independent testing and approval.
As with smoke alarms in the home, alarms should be tested regularly and should never be disconnected.
Sent: 23/05/2008
Email us direct at: repairs@londonheatingservices.co.uk
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