The Dangers of Fire

Video 5 of 51
1 min 35 sec
English
English
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People can injure themselves in many ways should a fire break out. Some do not respect that fire is as dangerous as it really is. Smoke is a killer. People think they can go through it and be fine, however, this is not the case. Smoke is an irritant, especially to the eyes. It makes your eyes water and you quickly lose your vision. This makes you very disorientated and you may easily get lost. Smoke does not contain much oxygen at all, meaning you will not be able to breathe easily in it. What you do inhale, however, will be extremely hot, and could burn your throat and lungs. In a fire, you are instantly at risk and can easily become a victim of smoke by getting lost or going the wrong way.

However, obviously the most dangerous thing is the fire itself. Fire is incredibly hot, and will instantly burn your skin if it touches it. You can treat any type of burn by first putting it under cool, running water for at least twenty minutes. This cools the burn and prevents more damage. Chemical burns should also be washed off, but be careful of the runoff of water, as you do not want to spread the chemical to another part of the body. Some chemicals react with water, so again take care. Be aware of the potential shock of the burn patient. If that does occur, you will then have to treat the patient accordingly. Having burns kits clearly labelled and available for use can help to reduce any permanent damage. There are some places where burns kits are more common, such as in offices, kitchens and factories. However, if no-one knows where they are, or if they have been moved, or used and not replaced, they are of no use to anyone. If there is a serious fire, the Emergency Services will have been called and it is very likely that at least one ambulance will have been dispatched as well. Therefore, any serious casualties should have First Aid and then aided by the Paramedics.