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UL reminds college students about importance of fire safety following tragic fire near Miami University campus

April 11, 2005 - Following yesterday's early-morning blaze in an off-campus house near Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, that killed three students, Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. (UL) is reminding everyone about the importance of fire prevention, protection and evacuation.

"Whether you live in a residence hall, Greek housing or a crowded off-campus apartment, your living area is likely overfilled with books, paper, bedding, curtains and clothes that make your room a bonfire waiting to happen," said John Drengenberg, manager of Consumer Affairs at Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL), a not-for-profit organization that tests products for safety. "In this environment, even the smallest spark can be deadly."

"Over the last five years, 74 people have died in fires in dormitories, Greek housing and off-campus residences. Seventy-seven percent of these deaths occurred in rented houses or apartments," according to Ed Comeau, director of the Center for Campus Fire Safety, a non-profit organization dedicated to the safety of college and university students across the country.

Comeau said that, as a state, Ohio has the largest numbers of student deaths due to fire (12) in the country since January 2000. Nationwide, nine college students have died in fires since the 2004/2005 school year began in August, Comeau adds.

UL's Drengenberg said careless smoking, unattended candles and cooking, as well as overloaded extension cords and power outlets, are among the most common causes of fires when students are living so closely together. He also notes that, because arson is the No. 1 cause for fires on campuses, students need to understand and respect the importance of working smoke alarms.

"Smoke alarms are there to provide you time to escape should a fire occur," he said. "Students should never disable any smoke alarm by taking out the battery or think any alarm is false. Whenever an alarm sounds, get out immediately. Fires can spread so quickly that students need to understand that the difference between safety and tragedy could be just a few minutes."

The safety professionals at UL offer these tips to help keep students in on-campus and off-campus housing safe.

Electrical tips

  • Look for the UL Mark on any electrical product you use.
  • Do not overload extension cords, power strips or outlets.
  • Be wary of cords and electrical outlets that are too hot to touch.
  • Do not connect multiple extension cords together.
  • Do not route cords under doors or carpets.
  • Never staple wires or extension cords.
  • Use light bulbs with correct wattage for lamps.

Cooking tips

  • Cook only where rules allow and pay attention.
  • Never plug more than one high-wattage appliance into a single outlet.
  • Keep surfaces clean of grease.
  • Never pour water on a grease fire. Use baking soda.
  • Keep an all-purpose fire extinguisher handy.

After parties

  • Clean up immediately after parties - take all trash out.
  • Douse all smoking materials.
  • Check for cigarettes in all couches.

Candles and smoking

  • Limit open flames in living areas, especially bedrooms.
  • Keep smoking to a minimum - smoke outside.
  • Keep candles in a sturdy holder - and away from papers and bedding.
  • Candles should be extinguished when not needed.
  • Never leave candles or incense unattended.
  • Keep candles and incense away from curtains, flammable materials and unstable surfaces.

What if there is a fire?

  • Evacuate immediately.
  • Always call the fire department or 911 when you're out of the building.
  • Have an escape plan and know two ways to exit the building from your room.
  • Memorize the number of doors to the nearest exit.

Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL) is an independent, not-for-profit product safety certification organization that has been testing products and writing Standards for Safety for more than 110 years. UL tests more than 18,000 types of products annually, and more then 19 billion UL Marks appear on products each year. Worldwide, UL's family of companies and its network of service providers include 58 laboratories, and testing and certification facilities.

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