Preventable accidents? Warning signs to buy, display, demand

 

I read about four kinds of fatalities this month (October 2023). 

1 A passenger in a train lost their life looking out, learning out of a window. One of several accidents and near accidents.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RK1mYj8B5Z0

2 A major fire at a wedding in Iraq. The video shows fireworks setting fire to decorations above. Reports imply that the non fireproof cladding installed without breaks allowed the fire to spread rapidly. If the fireworks had not been set off indoors this would not have happened. However, the owner appears to blame an electrical fault. In my opinion that would make the cladding more of a culprit. Because any kind of spark, electrical as well as fireworks, candles, arson, could have caused a rapid spread of fire. The other factors which exacerbate in this kind of fire emergency, were inadequate fire exits, lack of fire extinguishers. In many UK Toastmasters meetings the MC (master of ceremonies) starts by indicating the location of toilets and fire exits. An event organizer or bride and groom should have a checklist which includes safety of venue, including fire exits (how many do you need for how many people?), are there lights showing the way to fire exits (like on aircraft) so you can reach the nearest exit. Should there be a warning before fireworks are started. Should they be banned indoors and near trees and bushes? (In the UK a tenant lit a flame indoors for a baby blessing ceremony. She repeatedly insisted that you MUST go seven times around a fire to bless the baby. yes, but not in her building. It should be banned in the lease. 

3 https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12576845/The-teenage-girl-died-school-bus-crash-M53-Wirral-named-15-year-old-Jessica-Baker.html

4 A so-called freak accident in which a passenger stood up in the sun roof of a car in a car park. Apparently the passenger was hit by a low roof or beam.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12577065/Teen-18-dies-freak-accident-sticking-head-car-sunroof-hitting-concrete-beam-cruising-parking-garage-second-visited-mall-Canada-features-indoor-waterpark.html

The accident was not a freak accident. It was preventable. If the car would be designed to not move unless the back seat passenger's seat belt was done up. If cards had warnings of Ten Commandments For Safety for front seat and back seat passengers. If the car park was designed so that somebody standing inside a car could not hit their head. If the Highway code carried a page warning of types of accidents with a quiz asking drivers to note them. 

4 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12575453/Iraqi-bride-lost-entire-family-including-three-brothers-grooms-mother-wedding-inferno-left-100-dead-terrifying-new-video-shows-joy-turn-horror-inside-burning-hall-dance.html#reader-comments

Useful Websites

Warnings

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12575453/Iraqi-bride-lost-entire-family-including-three-brothers-grooms-mother-wedding-inferno-left-100-dead-terrifying-new-video-shows-joy-turn-horror-inside-burning-hall-dance.html#reader-comments

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12577065/Teen-18-dies-freak-accident-sticking-head-car-sunroof-hitting-concrete-beam-cruising-parking-garage-second-visited-mall-Canada-features-indoor-waterpark.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fireworks_accidents_and_incidents

Do not lean out of window video

https://video.search.yahoo.com/search/video?fr=mcafee&ei=UTF-8&p=do+not+lean+out+of+windows&type=E210US739G91802#id=3&vid=c29144d6e6052d24f79c8383e18aacea&action=view

Fire prevention

Order signs from websites. Also fire extinguishers.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=fire+extinguisher

https://www.bradyid.com/signs/fire-exit-sign-cps

https://www.ebmag.com/exit-and-emergency-lighting-and-signage-a-primer-for-these-continually-evolving-life-safety-solutions/#:~:text=an%20exit%2C%20a%20public%20corridor%2C%20or%20a%20corridor,of%20level%20where%20there%20are%20stairs%20or%20ramps.

https://www.osha.gov/sites/default/files/2018-11/FY06_46e0-ht10_stf_emerg_illumination_checklist.pdf

https://www.eaton.com/content/dam/eaton/markets/buildings/fundamentals-of-emergency-lighting-guide.pdf

https://www.compliancesigns.com/pd/portrait-do-not-lean-out-of-the-car-sign-with-symbol-nhep-34242

https://www.nfpa.org/News-and-Research/Publications-and-media/Blogs-Landing-Page/NFPA-Today/Blog-Posts/2021/07/16/Fire-Extinguisher-Types

https://www.motorbiscuit.com/illegal-stick-head-out-car-window-sunroof/

Please share links to favourite or important posts.

EMERGENCY! Dial 112 after and prevent Fires and learn safety in hotels, holiday lets and holiday home and expats abroad

Fire alarm and speaker switch. Photo from Wikipedia.

Problem
A visitor starts a fire in the rented room or apartment kitchen. What should you do to extinguish it?
Who is responsible for the damage?

Answers
Prevention
The landlord in the UK is responsible for instilling a fire alarm. At the annual check or renewal of a tenancy agreement the landlord should check the batteries. (This is in the landlord's own interests.)

Story
This year I have been a tenant of a flat in one country and a landlord of a property in my home country, as well as helping family members deal with contracts in both countries.

In one property a leak from overhead damaged ceilings, walls and floors. Further leaks led to insects and rodents.

In another property an oven caught fire. I believe when the oven was turned to grill by mistake, I was not there at the time.

Tips
Check rules in the country where you are letting to others or renting from others.

Check that both landlord and tenant have insurance covering fire, and third party liability.

Place a fire alarm and extinguisher near the oven and hob.

Have a sign pointing to fire exit.

Have a key to fire exit beside the fire exit. If that is the back door, have the key by the back door. You might wish to have the only key by the back door. If you have two keys you can leave another back door key near the front door. But you don't want to rush to the back door in the dark and find the key is back next to the front door.

Display the number for the fire brigade and ambulance services in the kitchen. Note that different countries have different numbers. You cannot rely on the tenants, visitors, landlords, knowing the number for the country where the property is situated.

Fix fire action instructions beside the hob, oven and microwave. These should include:

Do not throw water on a fire. This causes scalding or burning fat to splash out, injure people, and extend the fire, and sometimes cause an explosion.

Keep the number of the insurance company on the fire notice and the date of renewal. You need a photo and to contact them immediately.

Insurance
You may wish to keep insurance details handy. Yu  may have a 24 hour hotline to an insurance company or legal advice as either a landlord, tenant, or member of the public.

Emergency Numbers
How will you find the emergency numbers? Emergency numbers will be displayed by swimming pools in condominium complexes, on railway stations, on buildings sites, and on maps. In the UK and USA you will often be able to find them in public places and private buildings> in Hotels and all suite hotels look in the booklets in hotel bedrooms or the local phone directories in bedside tables.

You might wish to copy down the emergency numbers of your holiday or business destination on the front of your diary for quick access and into your phone.

You could even print a couple of copies of the emergency phone numbers on an a$ sheet, laminating it if you have a laminating machine. Take two copies, one for each room in your all suite hotel or holiday flat, or two copies in case you change hotels and accidentally leave the first one behind in your first hotel. You might wish to leave a copy behind in your hotel bedroom or show it to a friendly novice guest house owner

Fill in these numbers wis and when you need them:
UK AND USA
Emergency Numbers in UK
999 emergency
111 You need medical help fast but not an emergency.

Emergency Numbers in USA
ASIA
Emergency numbers in Asia
Singapore
EUROPE
Emergency numbers in Spain

Emergency numbers in Romania.
The European emergency number 112 is the only emergency number in Romania. It is possible to call 112 from a mobile phone even without a SIM card. The average time to answer a 112 call is 4 seconds.

Finally, do a rehearsal with the entire family of what to do in the case of
Fire outside the front door.
Fire in the kitchen.
Flood.
First aid box.
First aid and CPR.
Nearest hospital.
(It's usually quicker to call the emergency services. Why? Because they can set their flashers and have larger vehicles which other traffic avoids or gives way to. They also deal with any parking tickets.)

Emergency numbers worldwide:
http://chartsbin.com/view/1983
Shows a map of the world with colours matched to emergency numbers.

http://chandlersfordtoday.co.uk/emergency/
Useful text explanation. Very handy advice that 112 works worldwide even on locked mobile phones.
Why 112 and how do you remember it? If you use the same number on the old dial phones you would have to deliberately dial. On a mobile phone you could accidentally press against a key and holding it down it repeats. So you dial 11 which is easiest to find, then a 2 at the end.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/112_%28emergency_telephone_number

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. I have other posts on safety. Please share links to my posts.