Stop, Drop & Roll: What to do if Your Clothing Catches on Fire

Fire safety should always be a priority especially if you work in an environment with multiple chemicals or flammable materials, however, fires can happen anywhere! But, would you know exactly what to do if your own or a member of your team’s clothing caught on fire? Stop, drop and roll is a simple fire safety technique that can be used.

Read on to learn more about personal fire safety.

What does stop, drop and roll mean?

As the name suggests, stop, drop and roll is a three-step process that is used when someone’s clothing or hair catches on fire. This technique can be very effective as it’s easy to remember and therefore prompts a quick response and reduces panic.

How does stop, drop and roll work?

If your hair or clothes catch alight it can spread quickly and cause serious skin burns. You must react quickly in a situation like this and the stop, drop and roll technique can quickly extinguish a fire at home or work.

Follow these three steps:

STOP - The fire victim must stop what they are doing. Ceasing any movement can prevent the flames from growing and make them easier to control.

DROP - Next, the person must drop to the ground, lying flat with their legs outstretched and covering their face including eyes and mouth to avoid facial injuries and burns.

ROLL - Rolling on the ground will extinguish the fire as this motion deprives it of oxygen and therefore stops it from growing. At this point, if there is a towel or fire blanket nearby this can be used to cover the victim and further extinguish the flame.

If the individual does experience any burns then they should seek medical attention and if the fire continues to spread throughout the building always call emergency services. 

At Ace Fire Alarms, we offer fire safety training, alarm installations and safety equipment. You never know when a fire could break out in your workplace so ensuring that your employees and property are both fully protected is essential. Working across Devon, Cornwall, Plymouth and the surrounding areas we have more than 60 years of experience, and we are fully committed to quality and protecting our customers in the way they should be protected. Get in touch with us today for more information about our services.