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Articles Three Key Safety Measures To Prevent Vehicle Fires

Three Key Safety Measures To Prevent Vehicle Fires

Principal Author / Publisher:Safetyhow Admin
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A lack of basic car maintenance is one of the biggest sources of vehicle fires. A car that is not regularly serviced by a mechanic who has been professionally trained is far more susceptible to the risk of a fire, as is a car that has not had its MOT carried out by a reputable garage.

Leaks of oil, petrol and other inflammable fluids should be dealt with immediately to avoid the potential of a fire related accident. A good way to check for vehicle leaks is to look underneath the car to see if the ground appears wet, discoloured or stained. If you do find a leak, take the car to a garage as soon as possible so that the car can be made safe. Older cars are far more likely to have issues related to wiring or electrical problems and fuses that blow more than once can indicate a more serious underlying problem that should be addressed immediately. Rapid changes in engine temperature can also result in problems.

During the summer months, the threat of a vehicle fire is significantly increased. It goes without saying that throwing a lit cigarette out of the window on dry grass or close to litter is not only a risk to the vehicle, but to the surrounding area and also any wildlife. Fires can spread very quickly at this time of year and rapidly become out of hand when the grass is dry. Litter can be highly flammable, particularly aerosols and many other materials particularly plastics are a source of toxic fumes.



Although picnic trips in the summer are one of life’s greatest pleasures you need to take special precautions to ensure that you do not park your car on long dry grass. If grass is allowed to touch the catalytic converter for example, this poses a significant risk. Any heat source that connects with dry grass has the potential to cause a fire.

Having a fire extinguisher on hand is a very sensible measure and means that small incidents can be safely dealt with before they become bigger problems. However it is important to have the right type of fire extinguisher to deal with the problem. For example trying to put out an electrical fire with a water extinguisher can lead to electrocution.

A good all round fire extinguisher to have on hand is a powder based extinguisher. These are suitable for Class A fires (wood, textiles and paper), Class B fires (petrol, oil, paint and tar) and Class C fires (flammable gasses). Choose an extinguisher that is BS EN3 standard. A 1kg powder extinguisher comes is a compact size which can be easily stored in a car boot, some even come with mounting brackets so they can be affixed to the wall of a garage. For more information about car fire extinguishers visit Fire Safety Store

Three key things to remember to significantly reduce the risk of a vehicle fire:

 
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