PACDA sounds alert on use of room heaters

With the temperatures coming down since last week, households are warmed up with heaters of different kinds. It is advisable, however, to maintain the heaters properly.

The Public Authority for Civil Defence and Ambulance (PACDA) has cautioned the heater users and said, “First of all, the heater should of better quality with automatic switch-off feature as well as temperature adjustment feature so that half of the problem is solved.”

“Several precautions need to be taken. The place where it is kept and the place where it is used. Heaters need to be kept at a safer place away from any flammable things like clothes, wood, etc,” a senior official from the PACDA told the Observer.

Another important precaution is heater wire, which should not pass through the floor, or under carpets or furniture. It should be concealed and should not cause any obstruction during any evacuation programme’,” the PACDA representative said.

Flammable materials like liquid gas should be removed before keeping the heater as they can create a problem. “There should be adequate ventilation where the heater is kept and used. When the heater is on, it will cause an accumulation of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide that may cause breathing difficultly due to the consumption of oxygen in the heating process. Hence, proper ventilation is recommended when the heater is on.

“It should be kept in mind that heaters make room dry due to the consumption of room moisture. Dryness may affect the eyes, nose and skin. So, it is not advisable to use the heater for a long time.

“Heaters should be kept away from children also.

“There are people who heat food and make tea on room heaters. This is a wrong practice. Heaters with poor quality have fair chances of getting the user electrocuted during the process,” said the official.