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The ACCC have shared their top tips for staying safe this winter.

Many winter products can be unsafe if they are old, faulty or used incorrectly. Stay safe with ‘well winter’ safety tips from ACCC that can help all Australians avoid burns, injury and death, while staying warm in the cooler months.

Hot water bottles

Hot water bottles are widely used for warmth or to help ease pain. They are manufactured from rubber or polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and can deteriorate with age. Each year, 200 people in Australia are treated for serious burns from using hot water bottles.

Safety tips

  • Don’t overfill or use boiling water in your hot water bottle – use hot tap water.
  • Once filled, avoid direct contact with your skin – use a fitted cover or wrap the bottle before use.
  • Never leave on one body part for more than 20 minutes.

Electric blankets

If you remove your electric blanket once the colder months are over always store it rolled up. Inspect it before use and look for frayed fabric, exposed elements, damaged cords or scorch marks before using it again. If you notice any damage to your electric blanket, throw it away. Damaged or faulty electric blankets can cause an electric shock or fire hazard.

Safety tips

  • Check before use each year – cords should not be frayed and the blanket covering the wires should not be worn out.
  • Don’t sleep with your electric blanket on – warm the bed and then turn it off.
  • Never place heavy items on your bed when the electric blanket is turned on.
  • Seek advice about using an electric blanket if you have diabetes or are pregnant.

Wheat/Heat Packs

If you purchase a wheat pack follow the heating instructions and never heat more than instructed. Homemade wheat bags can pose a fire and injury risk because the moisture content and volume of these bags is not known so there are no heating times to guide you. Ageing causes the organic fillings inside wheat packs to dry out and become more combustible.

Safety tips

  • Do not heat and place the wheat pack on or in bedding. Blankets trap the product’s heat and may cause it to ignite.
  • Allow the wheat pack to cool completely each time before reheating.
  • If you notice a burning smell, let the bag cool and then dispose of the bag – it is no longer safe to use.

Children’s clothing

Each year Australian children are admitted to hospital with burns sustained after their clothing has caught fire. Even if clothing items have a ‘low fire danger’ label they are still flammable.

Safety tips

  • Be cautious of children’s clothing purchased online, on holiday or received as gifts from overseas. These may not be subject to Australian standards.
  • Keep your child away from open flames and heaters.
  • Avoid buying loose fitting sleepwear, dressing gowns and clothing which could easily catch alight.

Smoke alarms

More than 50 people across Australia die each year from house fires and many more are injured. The majority of these homes did not have working smoke alarms. Only working smoke alarms can provide early warning and time to escape. You lose your sense of smell when you are asleep. A working smoke alarm reduces your chance of dying in a house fire by half.

Safety tips

  • Test your smoke alarm is working every month.
  • Replace your alarm battery every year.
  • Replace your smoke alarm every 10 years. If you move house, check the alarm – the date of manufacture should be displayed on the smoke alarm.

Candles, matches and lighters

Candles are sweet-smelling and trendy but they are among the most common cause of fires in a home. Extinguish a candle prior to leaving a room or before going to sleep. Ensure the wick ember is no longer glowing.
Children are naturally inquisitive. Lighters and matches can be dangerous in the hands of children.

Safety tips

  • Store matches and lighters in a safe place, out of reach of children.
  • Never leave children alone with any open flame.
  • Keep lit candles away from any combustible material including; curtains, bedding, clothing.

Heaters

No matter what type of heater you have, check it every winter to make sure it is safe to use. Check the electrical cables and make sure there are no exposed wires or loose connections. Only use one appliance per power point and switch each off when not in use.

Gas heaters must be vented adequately as the carbon monoxide produced when the gas is burnt is odourless, colourless and deadly. It is particularly important to have gas heaters serviced regularly by a qualified tradesperson to ensure that there are no carbon monoxide leaks.

Safety tips

  • Heaters should be placed on a flat, level surface.
  • Never use a gas heater or BBQ made for outdoor use inside your home.
  • Always supervise children and pets when heaters are in use.
  • Keep heaters well clear from items that might burn. A minimum of 1 metre clearance from clothes, bedding, furniture, curtains and other combustibles is recommended.

Fireplace

Regular maintenance of fireplaces, combustion heaters, flues and chimneys must be undertaken by a qualified person a minimum of once a year (at the start of winter) to ensure that the heater or fireplace works properly and safely.

Safety tips

  • Place a mesh screen in front of your fireplace to prevent sparks and wood falling out.
  • If you have a fireplace in your home make sure the chimney is clean, and its properly ventilated.
  • Never use petrol, oil or kerosene to help light the fire. They could cause an explosion.

Hot drinks and liquids

Hot beverage scalds are the number one cause of burn injury in children and it can happen to anyone at any time.

It is recommended you put your baby in a playpen or highchair when you’re drinking something hot. Don’t have hot drinks when holding or breastfeeding a baby or child.

Use spill-proof mugs with wide bases and narrow rims. This reduces the risk of scalds – but it doesn’t get rid of the risk altogether.

Use placemats instead of a tablecloth to help stop hot food and drinks spilling on your child. Children sometimes tug on tablecloths, which brings everything down on top of them.

Read one mums warning HERE 

Read more:

It took just seconds for this toddler’s life to be changed forever

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  • Thanks for the reminders on keeping safe through winter

    Reply

  • If you have daylight saving change your smoke alarm batteries then (twice a year) regardless of whether or not they may be getting flat. As a precaution your electric blanket should be switched off at the power point, not just the switch on the blanket. I personally know of one that caught fire (not mine). It had been switched off at the switch on the blanket but it caught fire at its switch, melted it in it position and then the blanket itself caught fire even though it was a pure wool one. Also never place anything extra of any weight(not even a only part full overnight bag) on your bed and leave it on there with the electric blanket switched on even at the lowest setting. It can easily overheat.

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  • Important information to be reminded of.

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  • Don’t like hot water bottles or electric blankets

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  • My daughter had a hot water bottle. Up until it burst in her bed one night. Thankfully it had cooled quite a bit and didn’t cause any lasting damage.

    Reply

  • Great tips. The smoke alarm one is a good one that can easily get forgotten about.


    • We always check and monitor our alarms – reminders on the fridge help.

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  • Thanks for the list – candles have been the cause of house fires as seen on news reports – just so sad. :(

    Reply

  • Important tips, thanks !
    We’ve had several times the wheat packs overheated and then they burn. Last week my husband had to throw one out.
    I myself love warm water bottles and burned myself once when I was young on my foot. I’ve poor blood circulation in hands and feet (Raynaud) and got a big blister on my foot, which burst and then got infected by a little fiber of my sock. It developed blank tissue (gangrene) and quite a deep hole in my foot, which took ages to heal. Now, 40 years later, I still have the scars.
    And on another occasion my electrical blanket caused my mattress to melt !! And I was in bed and was luckily woken by the bad bad smell. Very dangerous.

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  • Really great reminder. I had no idea about the heat packs

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  • Great reminders to keep the family safe this winter!

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  • We have a wood heater and occasionally get the odd hot coal land on the carpet, its astonishing how great pure wool carpet is at not catching on fire. I’d have burnt the house down a few times now if our carpet was acrylic.

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  • All good tips, a lot of common sense but doesn’t hurt to remind every one !

    Reply

  • This list is a good reminder to take care.

    Reply

  • All great tips to remember for Winter!

    Reply

  • A wonderful list and awesome reminder for the cold days/months ahead. thanks.

    Reply

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