Fire blankets are a simple and effective tool for fire prevention, suppression, and compliance with fire safety regulations. Know more about them here
Fire blankets are now among the most vital pieces of safety equipment no industrial worksite should go without. Some homes may find use of fire blankets as well, since there can be small fires in the kitchen or garage.
Smoke detectors and fire extinguishers are the two most common fire safety equipment you’ll encounter in homes and workplaces. However, these fire safety measures are not complete without the added benefits of a fire blanket.
In this article, Canadian Occupational Safety discusses the importance and need for a fire safety blanket in your workplace. This discussion raises other important questions like:
- How do you use fire blankets?
- Do fire blankets work?
- What are fire blankets made of?
We’ll shed light on these and many more, so let’s get into it.
What are fire blankets?
A fire blanket is a device used to extinguish small fires. Fire blankets are usually made of a woven fire-resistant or fire-retardant material.
How do fire blankets work? The user simply covers or smothers flames with the fire blanket, effectively cutting off its oxygen supply and ideally, putting out the fire.
Fire blankets are effectively one-material, dry fire extinguishers designed to put out small fires before they spread and grow into bigger fires. Fire blankets are often used in kitchens, particularly to put out grease fires. When cooking oil becomes too hot, the oil starts to boil, emit smoke, then catches fire. Kitchen fires are typically the sort of fire that fire blankets are meant to extinguish.
Other types of fires that fire blankets can put out are:
- cigarettes burning in a trash bin
- stray embers that ignite other areas of a campsite
- minor accidents in a lab or industrial worksite
- fire that gets on a person’s clothes
Fire blankets are only a part of a holistic strategy for workplace safety. Depending on the nature of your company’s industry, you will need other equipment to keep your staff and workplace safe.
How to use a fire blanket
Putting out a small fire
Using a fire blanket seems easy enough – simply place the blanket over the fire and smother the flames. However, it is not always that easy nor simple. Casually throwing a fire blanket over a small fire can make the situation worse. To avoid this, here are the proper steps to follow when using a fire blanket to smother a fire:
Let’s look at each step in more detail:
Step 1. If possible and safe to do so, turn off the source of the heat.
Step 2. Remove the fire blanket from its mounting or packaging. Follow the instructions for deploying the fire blanket. Make it a point to read and get familiar with these instructions beforehand. If a fire occurs and you haven’t yet read the instructions on the fire blanket, stay calm, then read and follow the instructions carefully.
Step 3. Hold the fire blanket in front of you. Ensure that your hands are protected by rolling the edges of the blanket on either side over your hands.
Step 4. Gently lay the blanket over the fire, keeping your hands away from the flames. DO NOT THROW or toss the blanket over the fire. Doing so may not extinguish the fire or may even spread the flames to other areas.
Step 5. Place the blanket over the fire, starting from the closest edge of its flames. This is more efficient and will help you avoid having the fire run up the side of the blanket and burn your hands.
Step 6. Turn off the source of the fire if you haven’t already done so.
Step 7. Leave the fire blanket over the heat source until you are certain the fire has been starved of oxygen and completely extinguished. Allow the blanket to stay on the heat source for the next 15 to 30 minutes to ensure that the fire is completely put out.
Step 8. Leave the building and call the fire department. Even if you think that the fire is out and under control, there is always a chance it may re-ignite. Calling the fire department means having a professional assess the situation and confirm that it’s safe to go back into your building.
To see what these steps look like, here’s a simple demonstration video of the proper way to smother a small fire with a fire blanket:
If you’re looking for top trainers in fire safety, visit our 2024 5-Star Safety and Training list. Canada’s best safety trainers can help your teams build the right safety skills to keep the workplace safe.
Putting out a clothing fire
If a person has had some of their clothing catch on fire, you can use the fire blanket to extinguish the flames. Here’s how you can do it:
Step 1. Hold the fire blanket in front of you, taking care not to burn yourself by rolling the fire blanket’s edges over your hands.
Step 2. Roll the blanket over the person until they are completely covered.
Step 3. Keep calm and instruct the person to do the stop, drop, roll manoeuvre on the ground to smother the flames. Tell the person to keep rolling until the fire is extinguished.
Step 4. Contact emergency services or assist the person in getting medical treatment if necessary.
Important facts about fires
There are different types of fires but to burn and grow, they have these four elements in common:
- fuel: this is combustible material such as wood or paper
- heat: a high temperature is necessary to cause flammable objects to catch fire
- oxygen: gives life to people and fire too; oxygen is necessary for a fire to sustain itself
- chemical reaction: burning is a form of chemical reaction and can sustain fires
If one of these four elements is absent, then the fire will either not ignite or will be extinguished.
What are the different types of fires?
Fires are classified into different types, according to their flammable material or substance. Not all fires can be put out by fire blankets, water, or fire extinguishers. Using the wrong tool in putting out a fire may cause it to burn even more and worsen the situation.
According to the CCOHS, these are the different types of fires:
What types of fires can fire blankets be used on?
Fire blankets are effective for Class A, B, and K fires. Fire blankets are meant to be used mainly to put out small fires, preventing them from spreading and/or growing into a larger fire.
Fire blankets: top brands in Canada
There’s a wide selection of fire blankets on the market, and here are some of the best choices you can check out:
1. Crystal Lemon Fire Blanket
Compact in size, easily deployed and reusable, the Crystal Lemon Fire Blanket can be a worthy addition to your worksite’s fire safety measures. The only possible drawback is the fibreglass residue that can get on your hands after extinguishing a fire. Despite this inconvenience, its many positive features outweigh this minor flaw.
Key features:
- provides substantial coverage, sized at 99cm x 99cm
- made of flame-retardant material – durable, woven fibreglass cloth
- can be used indoors or outdoors
- easily deployed using Velcro bottom and pull straps
- can be mounted on walls for quick and easy access in work sites
- reusable
- creates minimal mess after using
2. Secu-Captain Fire Blanket
The Secu-Captain fire blanket features fire retardant tabs and is made from premium materials. Its design ensures safe and efficient fire suppression without making a mess.
While this fire blanket is not designed to put out fires that get onto a person’s clothing, the product's overall design and functionality compensate for this missing feature. Perhaps one of the best features of this fire blanket is its simplicity and ease of use; even untrained persons can follow the instructions and extinguish small fires.
Key features:
- lightweight and easy to store
- does not leave any mess after use
- usable by people of all ages
- made of premium materials, giving it a heat resistance of up to 580°C
- fire-retardant tabs increase safety and protect hands from fire during use
- no expiration date and is reusable
3. Hola Kit Fire Blanket
The Hola fire blanket serves as a highly reliable and versatile solution for extinguishing small fires in different environments. Thanks to its high-quality fiberglass construction and easy-to-use design, this is a practical choice for quick fire suppression without having your staff undergo any specialized training.
Compact and lightweight, the Hola fire blanket can be conveniently stored for immediate access during emergencies. It's also low-maintenance, so your staff can strategically mount or store them in or around the fire-prone areas in your workplace.
These are a small sample of what you can expect when looking for the best fire blankets to use. There are many more options on the market, so consider these qualities when looking for fire blankets to suit your company’s needs.
#DidYouKnow that fire safety legislation in B.C. requires fires be reported to the OFC? We use this data to help us understand where and why fires happen throughout the province. Each year we publish this information in an annual report. Full report here: https://t.co/4Gb29nsv1Q pic.twitter.com/nrIvwMtJv7
— BC Office of the Fire Commissioner (@BC_FireSafety) September 19, 2024
Choosing the right fire blanket for your needs
When choosing a fire blanket for the workplace, there are several features to consider. Some of these are:
1. Size
Fire blankets can come in at least three different sizes, namely regular, large, and extra large. Here’s how they differ, and which sizes are suitable for which environments:
2. Material
In an emergency, fire blankets are exposed to high temperatures and flames during use, so they must be made from tough, heat-resistant materials that can withstand these conditions.
Fibreglass or wool are common materials used in fire blankets. They have exceptional flame resistance and high durability. Choose a fire blanket made from high-quality materials that will not degrade or deteriorate over time. This ensures that you have long-term, reliable, and effective fire safety measures in place.
Apart from durability and high resistance to heat, consider a fire blanket that is made from approved materials. Asbestos was used to make fire blankets in the past, but this is now branded illegal since it was found to be hazardous to health. Be sure to check the component materials of a fire blanket before purchasing. Choose only those made of wool, Kevlar, or fibreglass.
3. Ease of use
Choose a fire blanket that’s easy to use and requires little or no special training for your staff. It should be easy to deploy and intuitive in design, so that your staff can use it without hesitation in an emergency.
When looking for a good fire blanket, choose one that has:
- clear usage instructions
- easy-to-grip handles or tabs for quick deployment
- lightweight material for effortless handling
4. Versatility
Different types of fires require different ways and tools for suppression, so choosing a fire blanket that can handle various types of fires is crucial to fire safety. A versatile fire blanket can effectively suppress a wide range of fire hazards, enhancing overall fire safety and protection.
Consider these factors and match them with the right fire blanket to ensure that your company meets fire safety regulations.
Fire safety and other forms of workplace safety should never be taken for granted; don’t count your organization among the many companies that don’t take fire safety seriously. Apart from supplying staff with the appropriate safety equipment, ensure that they get the proper training in their use.
Do your due diligence, pore through as many suppliers as possible, and choose the fire blanket that fulfills your needs while keeping within your budget.
Did you find this piece on fire blankets informative? Let us know in the comments
