When was the last time you performed a fire risk assessment on your home’s garage? It may have been some time, or maybe you have never even done one. Why is it important? Because the garage is one area of the home with a high potential for fire. Let’s briefly consider why that is, and look at ways to reduce the risk:
When you think about the items that are usually kept in a garage it is easy to see why it is a fire hazard. All kinds of combustible items are found in our garages such as gas cans, chemicals, cleaning supplies, old paint cans, and outdoor equipment, to name a few. It is also a place where we work on our cars or some other machinery.
Reduce the risk of fire by storing any flammable items in the correct way. Any spills from these items or from oil and dirty work rags, etc. need to be thoroughly cleaned up. Do not leave garbage sitting around in the garage. Anything like this that is left lying around on the garage floor will greatly increase the risk of fire.
When working on your car or some other type of machinery, always keep the garage door open. Toxic fumes can quickly build up and become very dangerous. You should also make sure that you have smoke and carbon monoxide detectors installed in the garage and test them monthly to ensure they are working properly.
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