Summer Safety Advice

Now it looks like the warm weather has arrived, we’ve got some important safety tips to remind you of:

• Take care if you’re visiting the countryside, especially during hot, dry weather. Please don’t light disposable barbecues on dry grassland.
• Dispose of cigarettes carefully, don’t throw them on to dry grass or hedges as they can cause a fire
• If you’re a parent, do you know where your children are each day ? Please remind them that deliberately starting fires is against the law. Even small fires can endanger lives, fire spreads quickly and can be unpredictable.
• Never leave barbecues unattended, and don’t put them to too close to fences, hedges or other items that could catch fire.
• Take care near open water, it might look tempting to cool off in, but it can be full of hidden dangers and is likely to be colder than you might expect
• If you see someone in trouble in the water, please dial 999 and ask for the coastguard at the coast or the fire service inland.
• If you fall into water don’t struggle, lie back and keep your airway clear, push your stomach up and extend your limbs moving hands and feet to help you float.
• If you’re planning a camping trip ensure caravans and tents are at least six metres apart and away from parked cars, to reduce the risk of fire spreading.
• Never use fuel-burning devices (e.g. disposable barbecues, camping stoves, camping heaters, lanterns, and charcoal grills) inside a tent
• Fit and test a smoke alarm in your caravan – optical alarms are usually most effective

We know these tips might seem obvious, but it’s often easy to get distracted or not think about the risk.

We want everyone to have a fun but safe summer!