New Year's holidays without fires

December 14, 2021

New Year and Christmas remain among the most beloved and long-awaited holidays for children and adults. They are usually prepared for in advance, ensuring that these days bring joy and leave the best memories. And in order for the holiday not to turn into a disaster, it is necessary to remember fire safety measures when organizing New Year's events. Regardless of where the New Year celebration is being prepared – at home, at school, or in other public places, there are always a number of requirements that must be observed during winter holidays.

The New Year tree deserves special attention. When choosing between an artificial and a natural one, you should know that an artificial tree, in case of ignition, releases toxic substances that are much more dangerous than fire and smoke. Therefore, when purchasing such a tree, give preference to those made of non-flammable materials or treated with a special compound that protects them from ignition.

Now, about choosing a place for the tree. The New Year's beauty should be installed on a stable base, not obstruct passage, and its branches and top should not touch walls, ceiling, or furniture. The tree should be at a safe distance from heating systems, electrical appliances, and especially heaters with open heating coils. Prolonged exposure to high temperatures causes the release of toxic substances, which can result in spontaneous combustion of the tree for no apparent reason at first glance.

The largest number of New Year's fires occurs due to faulty electrical garlands. You can decorate the New Year tree with garlands only of factory production, which must have conformity certificates and be purchased only in stores. Before hanging garlands on the tree, it is necessary to carefully check if there are any

exposed wire sections or other damage to the insulating surface. If you find such defects, the product is a fire hazard and unfit for further use. It is also necessary to properly fold the garland for storage, as twisted wires can cause a short circuit. In case of malfunction of the Christmas tree lights – severe wire heating, flickering bulbs, or sparking, you should immediately disconnect the illumination and do not turn it on until the malfunctions are identified and eliminated. When leaving home, do not forget to unplug the garlands from the mains. And most importantly – under no circumstances leave children unattended near the Christmas tree!

When decorating a Christmas tree, it is not allowed to use celluloid and other flammable toys and decorations for decoration, to use candles for illumination, to decorate the stand and branches with cotton wool and toys made from it that are not impregnated with a fire-retardant compound. It is also forbidden to sprinkle the tree with potassium chlorate and to create light effects using chemical and other substances, sparklers, and party poppers that can cause it to ignite.

If the Christmas tree catches fire, extinguish it with any available means – water, sand, or earth. It is forbidden to extinguish artificial Christmas trees with water, as molten polymers are dangerous due to the possible scattering of sparks and molten mass. It is necessary, without touching the tree with your hands, to throw a dense cloth over it, or use a fire extinguisher. A solution of detergent, such as washing powder, will also work.

Heads of enterprises and organizations, on the eve of mass New Year's events, must thoroughly check the fire safety status of all premises, evacuation routes, and exits. It is necessary to ensure the availability and operability of fire extinguishing, communication, and fire alarm systems, and to eliminate all identified violations before the holiday. Throughout the duration of the festive events, duty personnel responsible for fire safety, appointed by order of the head, must be organized.

During mass events with children, duty teachers, class teachers, or educators must be present at all times. These individuals must be instructed on fire safety measures and the rules for evacuating children from the premises in case of fire.

On floors and in rooms of buildings, at least two dispersed exits intended forpeople evacuation. Evacuation exits from premises must be marked with illuminated signs with the inscription "Exit". During holidays, the signs must be turned on. It is forbidden to install locks and other hard-to-open latches on evacuation exit doors, and solid grilles on windows. In rooms, all chairs and stools must be joined in rows and securely fastened to the floor to prevent injuries in case of panic and to ensure unimpeded evacuation of people. The width of aisles between rows must not be reduced, and additional seats must not be installed.

The decoration of the Christmas tree illuminations must be carried out by specialists with appropriate qualifications. It should be done through a step-down transformer with a voltage on the low side not exceeding 24 V. When using an electric lighting network without a step-down transformer, garlands with a voltage of up to 12 V and a bulb power not exceeding 25 W, with series-connected bulbs, may be used on the Christmas tree. Electric wires powering the Christmas tree lighting bulbs must be flexible with copper conductors. The garland connection to the power grid must be made only using plug connections.

Children and adults dressed in costumes made of cotton wool, paper, gauze, and similar flammable materials not impregnated with fire-retardant compounds are prohibited from participating in New Year's events. The use of combustible materials not treated with fire-retardant compounds for acoustic wall and ceiling finishing, storage of flammable liquids, as well as the use of decorations and stage equipment made of combustible synthetic materials for room decoration is not allowed. It is strictly forbidden to use open flames (torches, candles, candelabra, sparklers, etc.), use party poppers, use arc spotlights, and create light effects using chemical and other substances that can cause ignition.

We hope that you will use our advice and recommendations and celebrate the New Year and Christmas without unpleasant troubles and incidents.