Caution best to curb accidents at home

The Public Authority for Civil Defence and Ambulance (PACDA) has cautioned people to be alert against gas and fire accidents at home caused mostly by lack of attention.

“Most accidents are due to various electrical appliances including air conditioners and even from the careless usage of bukhoor,” a senior official from PACDA said.

Make sure you are not overloading the switches by plugging multiple devices and ensure that all the electric appliances at home are safe and of good quality

Attention should be paid to check if the gas cylinder is not leaking or the burner is off or cooking range is switched off before going to bed. “Most importantly, only genuine electric equipment, cables and appliances should be used at houses to ensure safety,” says Abdullah al Khadouri, a safety and security expert and a lecturer at a safety college. “When there is a gas leak, do not switch on any appliance or light the burner. Keep all the windows open so that the gas goes out. Any small spark can ignite fire. After some 10 to 15 minutes, can one check the cylinder for safety,” Al Khadouri said.

“The safety of home should be a common responsibility. Father, mother and children have their own roles to play towards making houses accident-prone,” Al Khadouri said.

Meanwhile, a public hospital source has said gas cylinder accidents are now quite common. “We receive many such patients with burns of various degrees,” he said.