The Football World Cup promises to be a big party again. Even though playing times are not always ideal, the bars will fill up again. Party tents are already starting to rise, living rooms are gradually being equipped with wide-screen TVs and orange knick-knacks.
While fans will mainly pay attention to the Netherlands’ game, it is also important to keep the focus on safety, the fire brigade warns. That may sound a bit patronizing, but the disastrous pub fire in Switzerland during New Year’s Eve has shown that this attention should not slacken.
The Drenthe Safety Region is therefore launching the campaign ‘Where is the emergency exit here’. “You should think of posts on social media to promote awareness. We have also made beer mats that will soon be in many cafes with the text of the campaign on them. The point is that people think about what to do if things go wrong.”
This applies to both pubgoers and café owners. Simply put: as a partygoer you need to know where the emergency exit is, as a café owner you must ensure that the emergency exit is kept clear.
The Drenthe fire brigade drew up a complete checklist for catering entrepreneurs. This ranges from how to inform staff and check foam extinguishers to advice on kitchen policy. Acting well in the face of danger is essential, just as simple measures to prevent misery are, as can be read.
The orange streamers deserve their own chapter. Previous café disasters, such as the one in Volendam in 2000, originated in the decorations. The decorations can also cause danger in people’s homes and in party tents in the front garden. That is why the fire brigade also has some simple advice for this.
There is quite a risk difference between all those flags and other orange expressions. One immediately causes a flash when a fire is ignited, the other first starts to drip and then smoke, and a third extinguishes itself after holding a lighter near it. Catering establishments in particular should only go for the latter type.
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