/EINPresswire.com/ Insurance company GIO is urging people to check their barbeques before firing them up
With people gearing up across the country to celebrate Australia day and start BBQing come rain or shine, Fire & Rescue NSW (FRNSW) and insurer GIO are urging people to check their equipment before firing them up.
Already this year Fire and Rescue has responded to six BBQ fires and numerous cooking fires across Sydney, some of which have resulted in serious injury.
GIO spokesperson Duncan Bone said: “If your BBQ has been sitting under the house or in the garage gathering cobwebs, you need to check that the hose and nozzle is not leaking. Spray it with soapy water – if it bubbles when you turn the nozzle on, it’s leaking.”
GIO’s findings from the Home Fire Safety Audit(*) suggest not only do people need to check their BBQ, but they also need to take a little more care frying those snags, with many home chefs failing to pay full attention to their cooking.
“We found that about half of people who took the audit sometimes leave their cooking unattended, and one in ten do that often – this is very risky behavior,” Mr. Bone said.
“All it takes is a second for a fat fire, or a slightly leaky LPG cylinder, and you have a real situation on your hands.”
“People think it can’t happen to them, but each year we see customers making claims after faulty BBQs or LPG cylinders have caught alight.”
The audit also found the vast majority of people were not prepared if a fire did break out at their home or while using a BBQ – only a third (35%) of NSW households have a fire extinguishers (35%), while approximately the same number (33%) have fire blankets.
One of the complicating factors can be the other flammable material — apart from a potentially leaking LPG cylinder – in other areas of the home, such as: the garage or shed.
The Home Fire Safety audit found that nearly half (47%) have flammable liquids around the home; more than a third (38%) have fuel; more than one in five (23%) have chemicals; and one in seven (18%) have LPG.
“Beyond the real threat of physical harm, what a lot people don’t realise is how quickly even a small fire can cause damage. Smoke damage can ruin clothes and appliances and require a major, and expensive, clean up,” said Mr Bone.
To help families think more about their own fire safety, GIO and FRNSW are urging people to complete the home fire safety audit at www.homefiresafetyaudit.com.au. It is a simple online assessment tool, built by GIO and FRNSW, which gives the household a fire safety rating and tips about how to prevent or prepare for fires.
* Information collated from 8786 responses to the Home Fire Safety Audit.
GIO General Ltd is the issuer and leading provider of insurance products such as home insurance, car insurance, ctp insurance (in NSW), boat insurance, caravan insurance, travel insurance and. For more information please read the relevant Product Disclosure Statement or policy wording at GIO insurance or call 13 10 10 for a copy on.
Media Contact:
Duncan Bone
GIO Insurance
02 8121 0277
http://www.gio.com.au/
PR courtesy of Online PR Media: http://bit.ly/xR21xW
