Staying safe while keeping warm

The City shares tips on how to safely keep your home warm during the cold winter season.

Home fires occur more in winter months than at any other time of the year, and City of Johannesburg Emergency Management Services (EMS) is concerned about the rising numbers of fires in the city and safety of residents. As record low temperatures grip the country, acting Chief of EMS, Rapulane Monageng urges residents to practise extreme caution and safety when it comes to heating their homes.

The City shared the following winter safety tips as it’s vital to keep fire safety in mind when using heating appliances:

• When using an electric heater, place heater on a flat surface, away from anything flammable.
• Plug heater directly into an outlet, avoid using an extension cord and never leave a heater unattended. Turn it off before going to bed.
• Choose an electric heater that has an automatic safety switch that turns the heater off if it is tipped over.
• When operating your gas heater, don’t use aerosols or solvents in close proximity to the heater as they’re highly flammable. Always ensure that the room in use is well ventilated.
• Only move the gas heater when it is off, moving it while it’s on could cause gas leak resulting in an explosion.
• Make sure all parts of the gas heater are in good condition and serviced regularly. Always replace worn-out or defective tubing and regulators.
• Trust your nose, if you suspect that you can smell leaking gas, chances are it is. Shut off the gas at the cylinder first and get it checked.
• There are still a number of people who use braziers (imbawula) or coal stoves to keep warm in winter. These can result in fatal gases being emitted into the room such as carbon monoxide and hydrogen cyanide, which are not easily detected.
• Take the brazier outside when preparing to sleep. Never leave the brazier burning, always extinguish the coals with water when not in use.

In case of fire, please call the Emergency Management Services on 011 375 5911 or 112.