Domestic Accidents And

Ways to Prevent Them

w w w . h a j j . g o v . q aNumber of Civil Defense: Qatar (999) Saudi (998) Number of Civil Defense: Qatar (999) Saudi (998)

Summary of Ways to Prevent Electrical Risks:1. Follow the standards of installing electrical fixtures; be sure this is done correctly and distribut-ing electrical loads needed in the different parts of the home in a proper and safe manner.2. Do not add anything to these fixtures except with the help of a trained electrician.3. Do not exchange electrical fuses with different sizes that tolerate higher current.4. Perform periodic maintenance of the electrical network and its parts, like switches and sockets, with the help of a trained electrician.5. Do not overload the electric current more than its capacity by using many electrical appliances from a single outlet.6. Install sockets in places out of the reach of children; keep electrical appliances out of the reach of children.7. Cut off the electricity when necessary, like when washing the walls, ceilings and floors.8. Do not run electrical cords near sources of heat, like ovens and heaters.9. In case of electrical failure, call an electrician and do not try to fix it yourself.10. Turn off all electrical devices when you have finished using them, and do not leave them unattended.11. Do not run electrical wires underneath furniture.12. Be sure you know how to operate electrical devices before you use them.13. Never use ungrounded electricity.14. Do not use any source of electricity if there is suspicion of a gas leakage.15. Unplug electrical devices when cleaning them or moving them to another place.An Accident and a Lesson Learned:Once there was a fire in a two-story house. The fire was on the ground floor and all of the family members were asleep on the second floor. When the father felt the smoke and the increasing temperature, he got up at once and woke up his

wife and some of his children. He then took them to the roof but found the door was locked without a key, so they were forced to go downstairs and escape by running through the fire to the street.The Cause:The electric heater had been left turned on all night near the sofa on the ground floor. Heat was trans-ferred via radiation to the sofa, which caused it to catch on fire and then ignite the rest of the house, so smoke spread throughout the home.The Result:1. The homeowner and members of his family suffered burns.2. Some of his children whom he forgot inside the house died of suffocation.The Lesson:1. Do not leave the heater or other electrical devices that give off heat turned on overnight; doing this would have spared that family these drastic consequences.2. The homeowner was rushed and panicked, which resulted in forgetting some of his children sleeping in the house, who died of suffocation. He should have reacted calmly and with composure.3. The door of the roof was shut and there was no key, forcing them to flee downstairs into the fire. Had there been an emergency plan already formed, there could have been fewer fatalities and possibly none at all.4. There were no smoke detectors, so the fire was only spotted in its later stages; it would have been best in this situation to have smoke detectors set up in the rooms, receptions, kitchens and halls.

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In cooperation with the Department of Civil Defense

Hajj & 'Umrah Relations Department Permits & Contractors Relations Section

Hajj & 'Umrah Relations Department

Permits & Contractors Relations Section

Hajj & 'Umrah Relations Department

Permits & Contractors Relations Section

Gas:Negligence and tampering with gas cylinders result in numerous hazards which could cause great harm to family members and neighbors. To prevent such accidents, follow these guidelines:1. Choose a suitable place for the cylinders2. Be certain the gas fixtures are secure, and do not expose them to heat or anything that might damage them3. Examine stoves and ovens for cleanliness and make sure there are no blockages in the gas pipes4. Close and turn off all sources of gas after using them5. Install a gas leak detection systemFlammable Oils:There is a risk of igniting flammable oils when they are left on the stove, especially when the person cooking is occupied by other household chores. For this reason, the following considerations should be taken:1. Do not leave oil on the stove unattended while engaged in other work2. Always clean off spilled oil from the stoveFalls:To prevent the common accident of children falling, please follow these steps:1. Watch children while they are playing and make their play areas safe.2. Remove tables and chairs from the vicinity of balconies.3. Do not use polished floors, as they cause people to slip.4. Place barriers on balconies and windows from which children look outside.Slamming Doors:It is possible to install doors that prevent this risk and remove their keys so that children would not close the doors and lock themselves in, and thus be exposed to trauma. Moreover, there are doors that have sharp edges that can harm those playing with them (as children

do); for this reason, it is best to use doors that provide more safety.Poisoning from Insecticides and Household Clean-ers:One of the most common accidents is poisoning by means of household cleaning detergents and insec-ticides. This is why such things should be kept in safe places out of the reach of children. Some of these can cause choking and others cause uncon-sciousness. In brief, the best way of preventing such health and safety hazards is to keep these substances behind a locked door and away from the sources of moisture, heat and flames. One should wear protec-tive clothing when using them and should not enter the rooms that have been sprayed with insecticides until a sufficient time has passed. Different clean-ing detergents should not be mixed together so as not to cause adverse reactions.Small Sharp Objects:Often, someone doing the housework will use small sharp objects like needles, cutters, lancets, pins, and knives. While being preoccupied by another task, one might leave these items on the floor, which would prick or injure both adults and children alike; and children might pick them up and harm themselves with them. Thus, anyone using these items must be careful to pick them up and put them in safe places before moving on to another task.Disposables:Families will naturally use different materials that will result in disposable items that are quick to dissolve and putrefy, thus giving off bad odors that attract some dangerous insects as well as possibly causing self-combustion. These things can also breed bacteria and fungi that could ignite this combustion. For this reason, it is important that whoever is cleaning the home removes all of these disposables in separate bags or containers and that he/she does not let them pile up together, which would cause unnecessary risk.

Cigarettes:Many homes are residence to smokers. Sometimes, a person might be smoking a cigarette and leave it in a place, forgetting about it, or they attempt to put it out, assuming they were successful, and then leave it without realizing it is still burning. Doing so can have terrible consequences. Therefore, smok-ers must take extra care in disposing of their cigarettes. They should not only throw them away, but place them in a special container so there is no risk.Matches :After using matches for cooking and other purposes, they are often discarded in the trash before being completely extinguished, thus they may cause fires. Matchboxes are also often left within reach of children, which could cause serious fires. For this reason, it is important for those using matches to make certain they are extinguished before throwing them away, and for them to keep the matches out of the reach of children.Poor Ventilation:In times of severe cold and at night, some families close their sources of ventilation, thus restricting oxygen in these places. If they use portable heaters, like those using kerosene, gas or coal, this could result in death by suffocation while those present are unaware of the danger. For this reason, ventilation should never be shut off in these condi-tions. Instead, they should allow oxygen to flow in order to prevent suffocation.Electrical Accidents:The hazards of electricity can be summarized in six points:1. Poorly installed electrical fixtures2. Overloading electric currents3. Ignorance and negligence4. Children playing around5. Leaving electrical devices turned on for a long time and unattended6. Ungrounded electrical usage

Number of Civil Defense: Qatar (999) Saudi (998) Number of Civil Defense: Qatar (999) Saudi (998) Number of Civil Defense: Qatar (999) Saudi (998)