Fire Blanket
Fire blanket is a fire safety device that can be used for small purposes. It is designed in such a way that it can extinguish small starting fires. They are made up of fire resistant materials and are generally found in number of residential and commercial settings. Fire blankets are useful in situations where it is difficult to extinguish fire with the help of water especially when the fire hazards are due to grease, oil and electrical wires. They are also used for wrapping round a person whose clothing is on fire. A fire blanket can also be used on fat pan fires. In household or various residential settings, the best place where one can keep fire blankets is in the kitchen for fire hazards that took place in the kitchen whereas in commercial settings such as garages these are located near oil storage or engine work to assist with oil and grease fires. In some cases fire blankets are also found near electrical equipments such as computers or generators.
Fire blankets are perfect for various industrial plants, homes, school laboratories; welding shops etc. they come in variety of sizes from a small 3 foot x 3 foot (1 meter x 1 meter) square up to the size of large bedding blankets. They are made up of tough soft, fire and heat resistant fabric such as fiberglass or aramid fibers. These fire blankets are anyhow better than wool blankets and it won't melt, drip, burn or support combustion in the air. As it is made from smooth continuous filament glass fiber so it will not stick easily to burning skin. The testing of these fire blankets is very strongly done as they have been tested to 900 degrees Celsius and were still incombustible. These types of fire safety equipments are very simple and easy to use as they can be released and cover the flame in less than five seconds. No fire safety equipment can be simpler than this.
There are four elements that are very necessary for a fire to occur. They are heat, fuel, oxygen and a sustaining chemical chain reaction. The fire blanket works on a very simple logic as it completely surrounds a burning object or the other way is that it is kept over a burning object. This fire safety equipment cuts off the supply of oxygen thereby smothering the fire. A fire blanket should always be kept within the reach so that there should be no hassles while using them and they should be easily available where and when it is needed.
A very important thing to keep in mind while using fire blanket is that the instructions that are there should always be read properly before using it. And in case fire cannot be extinguished with these safety equipments then one should immediately the fire contact department. Fire blankets can be used when a fire broke out due to any ordinary combustibles or due to oil or grease. After keeping the blanket allow it to cool for about 30 minutes. As fire extinguishers a fire blanket requires no maintenance or regular service checks. The fire blankets are always ready to use and have an infinite shelf life. It has been tested and passed by various testing authorities before releasing it in the markets. They can be very useful in case of emergencies and one should always keep fire blankets at proper locations.
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