Space heaters are quite common during the winter season to heating homes and businesses, but they can also be a bit dangerous.
Now that the temperatures are dropping, people all around the country are busting out their trusty space heaters to keep warm inside their officers or homes. Because of their convenience and portability, space heaters are quite common during the winter season to heating homes and businesses, but they can also be a bit dangerous. It is important to learn about space heater safety practices for your home or business in order to stay safe whenever you need a bit of extra heat this season. Read on to learn so much more on how to prevent space heater fire danger!
Are Space Heaters Really a Hazard?
Fire departments everywhere send out similar messages every year as the cold weather comes and starts to freeze: and that is to use extreme caution with home heating equipment. These fire safety tips include:
- Don’t use your kitchen oven to heat your house.
- Keep any flammables away from your heat sources.
- Get your chimney inspected every single year.
And the hazard at the very top of your list is portable heaters. Using a space heater should be mixed with essential fire prevention safety practices in order to avoid a severe accident.
Stopping Space Heater Fires at Home
During the winter, homeowners light their fireplaces, crank up the furnace, and bust out the space heaters, creating the ideal environment for accidents. Space heaters can be very hazardous, and they are responsible for thousands of fires and hundreds of different deaths each year. You can prevent space heater fires and their awful consequences by following a couple of space heater safety tips whenever you cozy up at home during the winter. They include:
- Never leave your space heaters unattended. Turn them off and then unplug them while not in use.
- Place the space heaters at least three feet away from flammable items, like blankets, furniture, and waste bins.
- Do not place your space heaters underneath a desk or in other types of enclosed spaces.
- Only plug space heaters into wall outlets and never into surge protectors.
- Use your space heaters that include automatic shutoffs.
Space Heater Safety Tips for Work
Space heaters are used at work, in warehouses, offices, and other environments, so creating a safe workplace policy for space heaters is vital for protecting your employees. Some space heater safety tips for work include:
- Require employees to gain approval before using space heaters in the workspace.
- Ensure that space heaters and cords are placed away from any high-traffic spots.
- Turn off the heaters at the end of the day.
- Establish standards for permitted space heater models in the workspace.
Fire Protection Services from Fireline
Whether you need smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, or an automatic sprinkler system installed at your commercial property, Fireline has you covered. We have been protecting people and property from fire damage since 1947—and our experience shows in our excellent work! We are known for our superb customer service, our expertise, and our reliability. For more information on how we can help your residential or commercial property, visit us online or give us a call at (800) 553-3405. We are in Baltimore, MD, with a second office in Leesburg, VA. For more fire safety tips, be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.