Alert call over space heater fire accidents in Bahrain

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

With the mercury levels going down, the winter season is also generally termed as the heating season.

The sale of space heaters has increased and so is the risk associated with their usage.

According to P Shakil, a fire safety consultant based in the Kingdom, excessive caution should be exercised while using space heaters.

“During the last winters, there have been many fire accidents caused by space heaters, which are only good for temporarily heating a room.

 A space heater should be kept at a safe distance from walls, curtains, furniture and other items.

Like any other electrical equipment, space heaters can easily overload circuits, most often causing power failure or fire.”

“Every winter, we hear about fire accidents in the Kingdom caused by room heaters.

And in most of the cases, it is carelessness which is leading to the accident rather than any technical faults,” he said.

Shakil pointed out that special precautions should be taken by anyone using an electric space heater.

“Electric space heaters should not be used in areas, where they are likely to come in contact with water, for instance, kitchen or bathroom.

It should be switched off when there is none in the room.

Using timers to control space heaters will only add to the set of risk factors.

And of course, the heater should be placed at least three feet from doors and furniture.”

He said the space heater should not have anything draped over it.

“It should be immediately switched off upon noticing strange smells or noises coming from it.

And most importantly, water or any cleaning fluids should not come into contact with the heating element of the unit.”

The safety consultant recommended buying high-quality heaters.

“Coal and gas-based heaters are more dangerous as they could increase the levels of carbon monoxide in the air, which could contribute towards the risk of asphyxia.”

Excessive carbon monoxide in the room could limit the supply of blood to the brain, leading to haemorrhage and eventually death.

Coal and gas-based heaters can also cause dry skin and irritation in the eyes.

Smoke alarms must

Last year, during winter, the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism confiscated hundreds of sub-standard heaters from local markets across the Kingdom.

According to Civil Defense, smoke alarms are essential for every building as they could be helpful during emergencies.

“There are two kinds of smoke alarms, ionization alarms and optical alarms and at least one of each should be installed in every home to ensure the safety.”