Fire safety training at local factory

Protective clothing manufacturer AJ Charnaud & Co held a Fire Awareness Day on Thursday at their premises, in collaboration with Children of Fire (Africa’s first burns charity).

The aim of the day was to spread awareness on how to protect the staff from fire and burns. 

Renowned speaker and burn survivor Ms Mitta Lebaka (26) and colleague Mr Mandla Mathebula addressed Charnaud’s 400 employees on how to avoid burn injury and loss of property due to fires. 

Dobsonville-born Lebaka has travelled in three continents to spread her safety message. She was burned on a domestic stove at the age of eight years old. This story helped soften the mood by allowing staff to share their stories of how some of their children acquired burn injuries.

They were asked, “What would you do should a fire break out?” Employees learned the basic but essential ‘stop, drop, roll’ method to follow if someone’s clothing catches alight.

Staff were also given information on pressurised and non-pressurised paraffin stoves, the use of gas cylinders, ethanol gel or electricity as other cooking fuel choices. And even how a simple foil-lined hot bag can continue cooking food safely if adults have to leave children in charge of meal preparation. 

The staff were shown the terrible injuries that can be caused by boiling water, hot baths and hot tea in a small, crowded home. Everyone was taught about how to escape a burning building and the need to protect the old, the sick and the very young by practicing an escape plan at home and at work. 

Charnaud is proud to have donated towards the medical care of Children of Fire this year, and hopes that the company and the charity can continue together to make the workplace safer. 

They challenge other factories in Ladysmith to better equip their staff and teach them how to protect themselves from fire in collaboration with Children of Fire, creating a ripple effect. 

Each staff member was given a blanket to take home after their training and 40 blankets were giving to the charity for staff and 20 children there as a courtesy as well.

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