Campaign teaches paraffin safety
By Tabisa Mntengwana
01 October 2009
PARAFFIN was again the focus of a week-long door-to-door safety campaign in Duncan Village.
According to a report from the City’s disaster management department, Duncan Village had had the most fires, pointed out Feziwe Ndiki, a health promotion assistant in the City’s health promotion division.
Health officials and members of the Paraffin Safety Association of Southern Africa (Pasasa) began visits in Ward 7 on 17 September.
They taught residents about the dangers of paraffin, with Ndiki assuring people that if they used the right brands of stoves and lamps they would be safe. Most paraffin appliances had been improved and were safe to use, she said, encouraging people to buy the correct appliances.
“Paraffin is easily accessible because it is affordable and people should be extra careful when using it,” she explained.
“There have been campaigns like this one before, but we found that some people were still not educated about the safe use of paraffin. Among other things, we are empowering people that paraffin should be kept away from children,” Ndiki noted.
“We are aware that people still put cloths on top of their tables where there are paraffin stoves and lamps; and in most cases the fires occur because a child has pulled the cloth that has the stove on top of it.”
The department also noted that some people used illegal flame stoves, “when they should be using Panda stoves”.
The seven-day campaign was carried out with the help of volunteers from the area who have been trained in paraffin safety. One of them, Thembela Bamla, said: “The training has helped me identify what is right and what is wrong when dealing with paraffin.”
Visiting Duncan Village had made him aware that there was still so much work that needed to be done in the area. “There are some of those who use the safety tips we give them but others do as they please and it endangers other people’s lives.”
The theme this year was “Be safe this winter”. Sharing her views about the campaign, Duncan Village resident Nomvuyo Myeke said: “This is making a big difference. Some people were not aware that if a child drank paraffin, the child should not be given milk to drink but should be taken to the hospital or clinic as soon as possible.”
Contact us:
