Page 68 - Science - 5

Take the victim to the doctor. The doctor may give anti-venom injections.

Fires
Fires
Fires
Fires can be very destructive. To prevent fires, these simple safety rules
should be followed :
w Make sure that the gas stove is switched off when not in use.

w Store petrol and kerosene oil in air-tight cans, away from the fire.

w Never play with matchsticks and crackers.

w Do not wear synthetic clothes in the
kitchen. Wear only cotton clothes.

w If the clothes of a person catch fire,

cover him with a blanket or thick
cloth. This would cut off the air supply

and the fire would be extinguished.

Putting out fires

Even a small fire in the house can spread very fast
and cause great damage. Hence, it is important to

control it quickly. We can control all types of fires
either by cutting off the air supply or by reducing

the temperature of the burning material.
Fire extinguishers are devices to put out fires.

There are many types of fire extinguishers. They
contain carbon dioxide (CO ) gas or foam. The gas
2
or foam surrounds the fire and puts it off by

cutting off the air supply.
For petrol or kerosene oil fire, throw sand to cut off

the air supply to the fire. Water should never be
used in this case because petrol is lighter than

water, so floats on it. The fire will then spread
faster.

Switch off the electricity mains when the fire is

caused by an electric short circuit. Throw sand on
the fire. Never throw water over a fire caused by
electricity, since water is a good conductor of

electricity and you may get an electric shock.

69
Discover 69 Science/5
69