Our Mission is Safety
The National Safety Council eliminates preventable deaths at work, in homes and communities, and on the road through leadership, research, education and advocacy.
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For more information about fire extinguisher use, check out this article from Family Safety & Health magazine.
Cooking equipment is the leading cause of home structure fires and fire injuries, and Thanksgiving is the peak day for home cooking fires (followed by Christmas Day and Christmas Eve), according to the National Fire Protection Association.
Make fire safety a priority this holiday season. Whether you are cooking for two or 22, keep these safety tips in mind:
In addition to cooking, other top causes of fire include smoking, electrical problems and children playing with fire and candles. The good news: Over the past several decades, deaths from home structure fires in the U.S. have steadily gone down – from 5,822 in 1980 to 2,730 in 2016, according to Injury Facts.
But even one death from a preventable fire is too many. While fire doesn't discriminate by age, it is the third leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 14. In 2016, 146 children in this age group died from fire and smoke inhalation.
Keep your home safe from fire:
The U.S. Fire Administration offers these additional tips to keep children safe from fire and burns:
Smoke alarms are a family's first indication of a fire. But once that alarm sounds a fire can spread quickly, leaving only a minute or two to escape. That's why it's so important to have a plan and practice it.
A home fire is reported every 86 seconds, according to the NFPA. Despite this threat, families rarely practice home fire drills, and nearly half of parents report their children do not know what to do in the event of a fire.
Home Fire Drill Day, a safety observance developed by Nationwide in partnership with NSC and other organizations, is held at the end of Fire Prevention Week each year in October. But families can practice home fire drills any time and take advantage of tools and resources offered at HomeFireDrillDay.com, including:
Practice as a family, take the pledge to practice home fire drills twice a year, and encourage others to take the pledge.
The Centers for Disease Control reports there are three types of burns:
If you don't know how severe a burn is, call 911 or seek medical treatment. Click here for more information on first-aid for burns.
Did you know you're not supposed to use ice, butter or ointments when treating burns? Learn how to treat all types of burns.
A small house fire can rage out of control in minutes. Learn how to prevent a fire – and how to survive one.
Frayed cords, overloaded outlets, space heaters and many other problems can cause a fire. Use this checklist to keep your home fire-proof.
The National Safety Council eliminates preventable deaths at work, in homes and communities, and on the road through leadership, research, education and advocacy. Donate to our cause.
The National Safety Council is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization.