Fire blankets are an essential tool for quickly suppressing small fires, making them a crucial part of your home or workplace safety equipment. However, just owning a fire blanket is not enough; Knowing how to store your fire blanket ensures that it lasts and can put out fires when needed.
But how exactly do you store your fire blanket properly? Where should you put it? Do you need to keep it in a specific place? Let's find out.
1. Why You Need to Store Your Fire Blanket Properly:
Keeping your fire blanket exposed to moisture, extreme temperatures, or harmful chemicals can compromise its fire-resistant materials. Proper storage is vital for maintaining the integrity of the fire blanket, ensuring it performs effectively during emergencies. Additionally, it helps prevent premature wear and tear, ultimately saving you the cost of having to replace the fire blanket prematurely.
Proper storage also plays a significant role in extending the fire blanket's shelf life, making it a reliable fire safety tool for an extended period.
2. Where to Store Your Fire Blanket:
When deciding where to store your fire blanket, prioritize accessibility and visibility. Choose a location that is easily reachable without the need to open numerous drawers or move objects. The goal is to make the fire blanket quickly accessible during an emergency.
For instance, we advise homeowners to store fire blankets in the kitchen. It's because the kitchen is the most common area for small fires, especially electrical and grease fires.
Ideal spots could be near the stove or cooking area but not too close. For instance, you can store an extra fire blanket in a cabinet door. Remember to mount another fire blanket on the wall using a fire blanket hook.
Aside from the kitchen, consider other areas in your home or workplace with many fire hazards. Such places include garages, workshops, and living rooms with fireplaces at home.
In commercial settings, such places include manufacturing areas, server rooms, and laboratories. They contain chemicals and machines that can easily catch fire.
3. How to Store Your Fire Blanket:
Follow these steps to ensure your fire blanket remains in optimal condition:
a. Use the Designated Pouch: Always store your fire blanket in its designated pouch. This pouch should be kept in a dry area and away from direct sunlight or extreme temperatures.
b. Avoid Contact with Flammable Materials: Ensure that the fire blanket is not in contact with fats, cooking oil, or any other flammable materials. Contamination could render the fire blanket ineffective and even pose additional fire risks.
c. Regular Inspections: Periodically inspect the fire blanket for any signs of damage, wear, or contamination. If you notice any issues, address them promptly.
d. Consider Ambient Conditions: If you live in an area with specific environmental conditions, such as high humidity, take extra precautions to protect the fire blanket from moisture.
Given this, you shouldn't store used fire blankets that touched fire. Most fire blankets are used for emergencies and are not designed to be reused. However, you can store tougher ones like the OUGIST Fire Blanket again as long as they're not damaged after use. Just wipe it off, fold it, and put it back in the pouch.