Life-hack videos behind sharp rise in home fires
FIRE SERVICES CAUTION AGAINST GIMMICKY ONLINE TIPS THAT CAN SPARK A BLAZE
ASIAN families have been warned over the risk of house fires from following advice in some “life hack” videos online.
Fire brigades expressed concerns over footage on social media where “dangerous tips” are provided, including cooking meat or curries in a toaster. Fat from the meat drips to the bottom of a toaster and can cause a fire.
It was Electrical Fire Safety Week in November (22).
The London Fire Brigade said there were more than 300 blazes last year from people misusing electrical appliances through trying to copy so-called “life hack” clips on video sharing apps.
Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service said it attended around 900 house fires which had an accidental cause last year.
Mark Hutton, head of prevention and protection at Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, told Eastern Eye: “As a service we work tirelessly to raise awareness of fire safety to try and prevent these fires, and continually highlight the importance of having working smoke alarms and a fire plan so that households are prepared should the worst still happen.
“Whilst some fires are purely accidental we are aware that so called ‘life hack’ videos are increasingly circulating on social media showing activities which are causing fires that could easily have been prevented.
“Even though the content might seem to be amusing, and the presenter quite credible, we would encourage anyone considering copying these activities to pause and think twice about what could go wrong.”
Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service said it also has safety leaflets in south Asian languages produced by the government, it has recorded video case studies in the past in Urdu and some of its staff can speak Urdu.
Hutton added: “As they are not safety videos, the life hackers may not readily offer this type of advice. The hacks often show household goods being used in what may appear to be innovative or interesting ways to get something done, but national evidence suggests they are regularly going wrong and causing fires and injuries because the equipment is simply not designed to be used in a different way.
“By its nature fire can be unpredictable and things can easily and quickly go wrong, just because a hack works in one media clip does not mean it will work in the same way when attempted again or elsewhere.”
In June, fire chiefs warned against people copying a social media craze in which people record themselves setting fire to hedges, fences and park benches.
North Yorkshire Fire Service said it advises people to follow the manufacturer’s instructions for the safe use of a product and to make sure they only use appliances for their intended purpose so as to avoid cooking meat in a toaster.
A spokesperson told Eastern Eye: “We would ask people to think twice being following any life hack that could be dangerous.
“The national FireKills campaign provides all fire and rescue services with home safety leaflets in other languages [including Punjabi and Bengali].
“We would give these out when working with particular community groups. We also have a translator line available for our staff which can be used when providing fire safety advice face to face.”
Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) said property was destroyed and homes were seriously damaged 786 times a year due to faulty or mistakenly used electrical appliances between 2017 and 2020. The incidents led to 218 people recorded as having been injured over the three-year period.
A GMFRS spokesperson said it has an agreement with Language Line which allows staff to access a translator if needed in more than 200 languages.
Amjad Malik, a solicitor in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, believes social media companies should warn viewers with a disclaimer message when displaying products that are being used for “life hacks”.
He said: “Social media companies should state the potential risks involved of engaging in the act described in their videos.
“There is currently law in places for safety regulations for electrical equipment such as EHSR (essential health and safety requirement) however, this law should be more exposed in social medias to all age of users instead of being in a booklet.
“I would encourage all parents to supervise and consult with their children before engaging in the use of electrical products.
“If necessary, communities can be requested to organise tutorial classes for South Asian parents that have difficulty in understanding and engaging with appliances, in order for them to properly explain to their children how to use certain appliances safely.”
The issue of fire safety has also been highlighted in India after schoolboy Siva Narayanan died after suffering burns while playing with kerosene in March.
The 12-year-old from Kerala was trying to cut his hair using flames from footage he had seen on social media.
Alexis Weedon is director of the Research Institute for Media Arts and Performance at the University of Bedfordshire.
He said: “The problem with life hack videos is that they exist to grab attention.
“Some try to be responsible and accurate, but others are for entertainment, or clickbait to get eyeballs to advertisers.
“Unless you know what you are doing and have checked with a qualified professional, you should apply the old adage ‘don’t try this at home’.”