What is a Fire Blanket?
A fire blanket is a simple fire extinguishing device manufactured in flame proof materials, typically glass wool. Fire blankets provide additional fire safety to your fire extinguishers mainly in a kitchen or catering environment. Most commonly they are used to extinguish small contained fires such as chip pan fires in a kitchen, paper fires in the office, barbeques and engine compartment fires. The larger sizes can also be used as a body wrap, ideal for children and young adults and especially useful to childminders for safe evacuation.
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As the name implies the fire blanket once released from its container is opened to its full size and placed over the fire to smother the flames. Our fire blankets are designed for quick release and deployment and ideally should be sited in view for emergency access, close to the area of fire risk. In the home where wall hanging may be obtrusive the blanket can be hung on the inside of a kitchen cupboard door close to the cooking area.
Once deployed over the fire, leave for several minutes until all signs of fire have disappeared. Normally fire blankets are not reusable if the outer sleeve is damaged by the fire allowing the ingress of oxygen.
What is a fire blanket used for?
Fire blankets are an important fire safety measure for properties. A fire blanket is made of fire-resistant materials. They are particularly useful for smothering fat pan fires or wrapping around a person whose clothing is on fire. A fire blanket must conform to British Standards BS EN 1869: 1997 for use in the home.
How To Use A Fire Blanket?
There are different techniques and processes to use depending on the nature of the fire.
Turn off the heat source if it is safe to do so
Pull the tapes to release the fire blanket from its box
Hold the blanket in a shield position and, if possible, wrap the blanket around your hands for protection
Place the fire blanket over the fire to smother the blaze
Leave it to cool completely and ensure the fire is fully extinguished, with no chance of it reigniting
If the flames are larger than the blanket itself, do not attempt to put it out yourself. Instead head somewhere safe and call the fire service.
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How Does A Fire Blanket Work?
The sheet is used to smother the flames, starve them of oxygen and extinguish the fire before it gets out of control.
Fire blankets are typically installed in kitchens; however, they are also used within educational, residential and industrial settings.
A simple grab and pull of the handles will allow the blanket to fall from the wall container and cover an operator’s hands, protecting them from burns. They can be safely deployed in the event of an emergency without any special training – although a potential user should familiarise themselves with the instructions on the container beforehand.
When to use a fire blanket.
A fire blanket is most commonly used to tackle fat pan fires. As such it is most sensible to keep them in the kitchen to ensure that the user can easily gain access to it. However, do not put the fire blanket too close to the cooker because you may not reach it in the event of a fire. Always place the fire blanket near an escape route so that you have the option to walk away and contact the Fire and Rescue Service should the fire be too large to tackle.
Fire blankets are only suitable when the fire is small, or Class F fires. These are especially helpful for Class F fires. These fires are typically caused by cooking fat oils. These types of fires should not be doused with water and you should use a fire blanket to put it out.
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In the case of a fire and where safe, get as close to the fire as possible to place the fire blanket over the top of fire. The fire blanket will be marked to show whether it should be thrown away after use or used again after cleaning, in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.
The fire blanket can also be used on clothes. Should someone’s clothing catch fire a fire blanket can safely douse it. It provides a great solution to this situation. A fire blanket is strong enough to carry someone either by putting them on it and dragging them out of the door. This method should be used to transport someone when needed.
At IC International we know how important it is to have high-quality fire equipment that meets British regulations and standards. That is why we stock the BRIDELA™ Fire Blankets, fully certified to BS EN 1869: 1997.
Our fire blankets are efficiently packaged in a choice of containers such as red flexible P.V.C flat pack or red U.P.V.C tube pack, suitable for both domestic and industrial use. These fire blankets can be draped over a fire and smother the danger by starving the fire of oxygen.
There are many benefits for using a BRIDELA™ Fire Blankets. For example, the blanket is made from woven glass fibre fabric which is totally asbestos-free. The containers can be wall mounted to ensure full access whenever needed, whilst also giving easy withdrawal from the container.
Additional Uses For A Fire Blanket
In addition to extinguishing small liquid and solid fires, a fire blanket can be used with a person whose clothing has ignited.
By placing them on the ground and wrapping them in the blanket, oxygen is excluded, and the flames diminished. Being in a horizontal position also prevents the flames from reaching the victim’s face and hair. This often proves a far safer and practical alternative to using a fire extinguisher.
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How To Choose The Right Fire Extinguisher
Before selecting a fire extinguisher you need to know that there are different classes of fire and that different types of fire extinguishers work on specific classes.
Class A: These fires are fuelled by solid combustibles like paper, wood, fabric, plastic, and rubber.
Class B: These fires are fuelled by flammable liquids such as petrol, paint, turpentine, lubricants and some cleaning products.
Class C: These fires are started or fuelled by flammable gases like butane and methane.
Class D: These fires are started or fuelled by combustible metals, such as magnesium, aluminium, and potassium.
Class E: These fires are started or fuelled by equipment that requires live electricity or circuitry to operate. Once the live electrical item is removed, the fire changes class.
Class F: These fires are started or fuelled by cooking oils and fats.
Though there are six main classes of fires, there are five main types of fire extinguishers. The fire risk at your business will determine which types of extinguishers you need, as well as the size and weight required for compliance.
In Australia, the fire extinguishers types are water, foam, dry powder (ABE and BE), carbon dioxide, and wet chemical. There are also fire blankets, which offer more limited extinguishing capabilities.
There is no single type of fire extinguisher that works on all types of fire.
Cons and considerations of fire blankets
They are a one-use item
Fire extinguishers must be replaced or recharged after every use, whereas fire blankets should always be replaced after any use in a fire, even if they appear to be intact.
Older fire blankets may contain asbestos
The EPA instituted a partial ban on products containing asbestos in 1989 because of the serious risks of lung disease associated with the material. Asbestos was extremely common in fire blankets before that time. If you have any old fire blankets in your home or workplace that you suspect may contain asbestos, contact an asbestos removal specialist. Don’t use them, handle them, or disturb them.
A fire blanket being used to smother a fire
A fire blanket is used to smother a fire on a table. Source: Wikipedia
Fire blankets require you to get close to a fire
The correct technique to use a fire blanket requires you to place it right on top of a fire. If flames are high above the source or widespread, this may be difficult or impossible to do safely.
Fire blankets can’t be used safely on larger fires
If a fire is becoming widespread, a fire blanket can’t be deployed effectively. A typical fire blanket size is about five feet wide by six feet long. Sizes much larger than this can become unwieldy for one person to handle. If the fire is extensive, it’s not a good idea to attempt to use a fire blanket, except as mentioned above for personal protection.
Fire blankets also require a bit of training
Without proper training, it could be easy to panic while approaching a fire, causing you to drop or throw the blanket. This could make things worse by spreading flaming liquids or fanning the flames. If you fail to wrap your hands in the corners of the blanket, you could burn yourself. For all these reasons, deploying fire blankets should include some training in how and when they are used, just as you would for fire extinguishers.
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