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UNDERWRITERS LABORATORIES URGES FAMILIES TO FOCUS ON THE THREE P'S OF FIRE SAFETY

As fires burn hotter and faster than ever, fire safety becomes an urgent issue for parents and their children

NORTHBROOK, Ill., October 3 /PRNewswire/—A recent study from Underwriters Laboratories (UL) and the Fire Protection Research Foundation (FPRF) concluded that synthetic materials used in modern homes are causing fires to burn hotter and up to five times faster than they did 30 years ago. Underwriters Laboratories (UL) is helping families be safer by promoting the three P's - Prevention, Protection and Planning - during Fire Prevention Week, October 5 - 11.

"If a fire occurs in your house or apartment, every second counts. There are a number of simple steps that families can take to substantially lessen the risk of fire and injury," says John Drengenberg, manager of Consumer Affairs for Underwriters Laboratories. "Knowing and practicing these steps will go a long way in helping your loved ones be better prepared to react quickly and appropriately during a fire."

Prevention

Parents are often a child's first and main resource for information on fire safety. A 2007 survey by the Michael Cohen Group found that insufficient fire safety curriculum exists for children. UL offers the following guidelines for parents to prevent fires and lead children by example:

  1. Limit the use of candles or make sure to position them away from decorations, curtains, bedding, paper, walls and furniture.
  2. Unattended cooking is the #1 cause of home fires. Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, grilling, or broiling food. If you leave the kitchen for even a short period time, turn off the stove.
  3. Keep matches and lighters out of reach and away from children.

Protection

Working smoke alarms cut the risk of fire-related death in half. A recent survey from the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) found that while 96 percent of households report having a working smoke alarm, no working smoke alarm was present in almost half of reported home fires. UL recommends the following when outfitting your home with a smoke alarm:

  1. Invest in both photoelectric and ionization smoke alarms, or in smoke alarms with dual-technology. Using both types of alarm technologies optimizes fire detection.
  2. Install alarms on each level of the home to ensure every area of the home is covered. Replace smoke alarms every ten years.
  3. Consider outfitting your home with interconnected technology to link all alarms so when one detects smoke, all alarms will sound.

Planning

Because an influx of synthetic materials in the home has effectively reduced the amount of time families have to safely escape a home fire, a regularly practiced plan of escape is key. UL urges the following:

  1. Gather with your family to draw a floor plan and map out each member's route of escape.
  2. Pay special attention to children during this process. Consider a Parental Plan B because children may not always wake up to the sound of a smoke alarm.
  3. Practice makes perfect - a plan of escape is highly effective in reducing the risk of death and injury if practiced regularly.

For more information on fire and life safety, please visit www.UL.com/newsroom.

About Underwriters Laboratories

Underwriters Laboratories (UL) is an independent product safety certification organization that has been testing products and writing Standards for Safety for over a century. UL evaluates more than 19,000 types of products, components, materials and systems annually with 21 billion UL Marks appearing on 71,000 manufacturers' products each year. UL's worldwide family of companies and network of service providers includes 63 laboratory, testing and certification facilities serving customers in 99 countries. For more information, visit: www.UL.com/newsroom.