June 4, 2007
By George Matlala
HUNDREDS of people watched as a small shack was engulfed in flames and burned down into ashes.
But the shack had been built to be burned - it was the central "actor" in a demonstration at the Rotary Sports Fields in Alexandra on Friday, 1 June, held to show the dangers of using unsafe paraffin stoves.
The demonstration formed part of Emergency Management Services's (EMS) winter safety campaign. The campaign teaches members of the community to prevent and be prepared for fires, especially in informal settlements.
Alexandra residents watch as EMS personnel extinguish a burning shack
The EMS was joined in this educational drive by the Paraffin Safety Association of Southern Africa (Pasasa) acting in conjunction with the Tshwarisanong Environmental Pro-Re-active Safety Mentors. Friday was National Paraffin Day.
Among the speakers who stressed the safety message on the day were Ambi Maseko, the councillor for ward 75; Edwin Mashile, the public educator at emergency management services; and Joe Bopape, Pasasa's Gauteng region manager.
The City called on residents to share the lessons they had learned on the day with others, for as many people as possible to be safe. "Let us educate one another about safety in our community," Maseko said, adding that the residents should take the necessary measures to prevent and protect themselves against fire.
"We are commemorating the victims and survivors of paraffin-related incidents," Bopape said. He noted that before winter ended, more paraffin-related incidents would have been reported, especially in informal settlements.
It was also expected that as power cuts continued more people – and not only those living in informal settlements – would turn to paraffin appliances for heating and cooking.
Much of the safety campaign focused on wick paraffin stoves, which Bopape said were illegal because they did not meet South African National Standards (SANS). In terms of SANS, a stove should not leak paraffin and should turn off when it is knocked over.
It is also a requirement that should an individual try to add more paraffin to a stove while it is on, it should automatically switch off. Bopape urged people to use pressure paraffin stoves because they met safety requirements.
"We are pleading with people to switch off and remove electrical appliances from plugs because you never know what kids do," said Mashile, appealing to parents to take care of their children and not to leave them alone, locked in at home. "Let's protect ourselves; it is winter," he said, urging residents to prevent fire-related incidents. He also noted that households should have emergency doors or windows in case of fire.
Following the formalities, residents were shown the Parasafe Stove, a pressure stove that meets the safety standards set by SANS. It has a three-litre tank and can be locked to prevent paraffin leakage. When it is knocked over, it automatically switches off.
The stove sold for R100 to R150 and was available at leading retail stores, explained Jethro Geyser, the chief marketing officer of Parasafe, the makers of the stove.
And to show how real the safety message was, campaigners left a wick stove burning in a shack built for the demonstration for an hour. Minutes after the stove was knocked over, the shack went up in flames.
A group of volunteers acted as bucket brigades, showing residents how to extinguish fires while waiting for firefighters to arrive. The demonstration was also aimed at urging residents to prevent fires.
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