Safety Precautions: Using a Fire Poker
When enjoying a cozy fire in your fireplace or outdoor fire pit, one essential tool you will often use is a fire poker. A fire poker is a metal instrument used to tend and rearrange logs in a fire. While it is an essential tool, using it improperly can lead to injuries and accidents. Therefore, it’s essential to know the right safety precautions when using a fire poker. Here are five safety precautions to consider.
Wear Heat-Resistant Gloves
It’s normal to want to touch and rearrange logs with your bare hands, but it’s not safe when dealing with a fire. Instead, wear heat-resistant gloves that can withstand the fire’s heat if you must touch the logs. This way, your hands remain unscathed while you tend to the fire.
Keep a Safe Distance
Whether you’re inside the house or outside around a fire pit, keep a safe distance from the fire. A good distance to observe is at least two meters away, and pay attention to the weather conditions as wind can move sparks several meters off. This way, you avoid accidental contact with flames or burning logs with your fire poker.
Use a Sturdy Fire Poker
When buying a fire poker, go for a sturdy and long-handled one that can handle logs without bending or snapping easily. The fire poker’s length provides enough distance to keep your hands and face safe from the fire while tending to it. Moreover, a lightweight but sturdy poker is easier to manage than a heavy one.
Don’t Leave the Fire Poker Unattended
It’s easy to forget to pick up the fire poker after using it to rearrange the logs. Leaving it unattended around the fire can cause accidents or tripping hazards. Ensure that the poker is within reach by placing it safely away from the fire when you’re not using it. If possible, keep the fire poker hooked on a nearby wall or fireplace poker holder to avoid misplacement.
Extinguish the Fire Correctly
When you’ve finished using the fire poker, you must extinguish the fire correctly. You can use water or sand to ensure that there are no smoldering embers left. Additionally, allow the fire pit to cool before disposing of ash. Cold ash can cause severe burns, and it can take days for hot ash to cool down completely.
Using a fire poker can be an enjoyable and necessary task when tending to a fire. You should observe the safety precautions highlighted above to avoid accidents and injuries. Remember to keep a safe distance, wear gloves, use a sturdy fire poker, don’t leave it unattended, and extinguish the fire correctly.
