Fire blankets

[mumofone]

Please could someone tell me the best place to buy one? What's the recommended location for it? Do I need one in place for my pre-reg? Thanks ....

[sarah707]

Ebay... close to the cooker but not behind it ... yes :)

[mumofone]

Ebay... close to the cooker but not behind it ... yes :)

Thanks again sarah :-)) Would it acceptable to put it in a cupboard next to the cooker? And does it have to be "mounted" or just loose?

[moggy]

Thanks again sarah :-)) Would it acceptable to put it in a cupboard next to the cooker? And does it have to be "mounted" or just loose?

Yes, wall mounting is required so you can pull tabs to use the blanket- follow the instructions that come with the blanket.
Not in a cupboard, you need to be able to grab it ASAP, and it needs to be visible as it might not be you yourself who needs to get it in an emergency (if someone else in house).

See this document:
Code of Practice for the Commissioning and maintenance of Fire Blankets manufactured to BS EN 1869 (http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:0sBKMUyK8p4J:www.fia.uk.com/download.cfm%3Fdocid%3D12C3506A-D3DB-41B1-B100AD94C51A30BD+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk)

or Google:

Maintenance of Fire Blankets - Fire Industry Association

[mumofone]

Yes, wall mounting is required so you can pull tabs to use the blanket- follow the instructions that come with the blanket. Not in a cupboard, you need to be able to grab it ASAP, and it needs to be visible as it might not be you yourself who needs to get it in an emergency (if someone else in house). See this document: Code of Practice for the Commissioning and maintenance of Fire Blankets manufactured to BS EN 1869 (http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:0sBKMUyK8p4J:www.fia.uk.com/download.cfm%3Fdocid%3D12C3506A-D3DB-41B1-B100AD94C51A30BD+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk) or Google: Maintenance of Fire Blankets - Fire Industry Association

Thanks moggy :-)) there seems to be lots of different ones available and different sizes too it's a bit confusing as to which I need or whether OFSTED just require me to have A fire blanket

[moggy]

Thanks moggy :-)) there seems to be lots of different ones available and different sizes too it's a bit confusing as to which I need or whether OFSTED just require me to have A fire blanket

Any is fine.

[rickysmiths]

You are not required to have a Fire Blanket by anyone.

I don't have one on the advise of the Local Fire Brigade who recommend I do not fight a fire I get myself and any family, friends or Minded Children out and dial 999. I do not have the time if I have children I am responsible for to tackle a fire and nor do I have the appropriate training to use a fire Blanket Correctly.

I actually do because I was sent on a 2 day course by my Employers, it was run by Chubb and we were taught how to use Fire Extinguishers and Fire Blankets correctly and it is not easy believe me. However it is a training that my company repeated regularly so we had the practice using the items (I was a Catering Manager for a major Contract Catering Company).

The only time when I was at work that I was called to a Catering Unit by my staff, an industrial chip pan had caught fire. When I got there my staff had done exactly the right thing, turned off the electricity, one of them had safely got the lid on the fryer and they had walked and waited at the opposite side of the Catering unit out of the kitchen area. That was fine and all that needed to happen was to leave the fryer alone until it had cooled down enough for an engineer to check it and see what had gone wrong. However the site we were on, a huge manufacturing site, had their own in house Fire Brigade who arrived just after me. They went charging in all guns blazing opened the fryer lid and sprayed in a foam extinguisher they had never used before and wanted to try!! What clowns and one of them the one who opened the fryer and sprayed in the foam was very badly hurt he got boiling fat in his face and the fire reignited because he had allowed oxygen back in. It caused damage to the surrounding area and closed the catering unit for a week so the damage could be repaired. The 'Fireman' was off work for 6 weeks recovering. It was a farce and an example of amateurs who didn't have proper training on the equipment they were using and having a go and making a right royal mess up.

I don't have any Fire Fighting Equipment in my house, I am not trained to fight a fire, I have trained myself to get out. You can replace things but you can't replace people.

[mumofone]

You are not required to have a Fire Blanket by anyone. I don't have one on the advise of the Local Fire Brigade who recommend I do not fight a fire I get myself and any family, friends or Minded Children out and dial 999. I do not have the time if I have children I am responsible for to tackle a fire and nor do I have the appropriate training to use a fire Blanket Correctly. I actually do because I was sent on a 2 day course by my Employers, it was run by Chubb and we were taught how to use Fire Extinguishers and Fire Blankets correctly and it is not easy believe me. However it is a training that my company repeated regularly so we had the practice using the items (I was a Catering Manager for a major Contract Catering Company). The only time when I was at work that I was called to a Catering Unit by my staff, an industrial chip pan had caught fire. When I got there my staff had done exactly the right thing, turned off the electricity, one of them had safely got the lid on the fryer and they had walked and waited at the opposite side of the Catering unit out of the kitchen area. That was fine and all that needed to happen was to leave the fryer alone until it had cooled down enough for an engineer to check it and see what had gone wrong. However the site we were on, a huge manufacturing site, had their own in house Fire Brigade who arrived just after me. They went charging in all guns blazing opened the fryer lid and sprayed in a foam extinguisher they had never used before and wanted to try!! What clowns and one of them the one who opened the fryer and sprayed in the foam was very badly hurt he got boiling fat in his face and the fire reignited because he had allowed oxygen back in. It caused damage to the surrounding area and closed the catering unit for a week so the damage could be repaired. The 'Fireman' was off work for 6 weeks recovering. It was a farce and an example of amateurs who didn't have proper training on the equipment they were using and having a go and making a right royal mess up. I don't have any Fire Fighting Equipment in my house, I am not trained to fight a fire, I have trained myself to get out. You can replace things but you can't replace people.

Hi rickysmiths thanks for that it's a good point but it does sound from other comments like OFSTED do require us to have one certainly for the early years register?

[moggy]

Hi rickysmiths thanks for that it's a good point but it does sound from other comments like OFSTED do require us to have one certainly for the early years register?

I agree with all Rickysmith says, I have no plans to ever use it. But I have one to avoid any discussion about it when I next get inspected. I do not want my inspection to get sidetracked with questions about why I don't have one. It does no harm hanging there. I know my job is to get us all out in the case of a fire.

The EYFS is not clearly written enough, as usual- it does not say we 'MUST have a FIRE BLANKET'- it is vague as usual, so I am taking no chances.