Keep an extinguisher, fire blanket, escape respirators and first-aid kit, and check them yearly
All four appear on the Chinese Ministry of Emergency Management's 11-item household emergency checklist. A set costs several hundred renminbi. Studies of safety guidance delivered in people's homes found about a quarter fewer injuries.
What it takes
In China, an extinguisher, blanket, one escape respirator per person and a first-aid kit cost several hundred renminbi in total. Buy the set once, then spend ten minutes checking it each year.
What you may gain
China's basic household emergency-supplies list has 11 items. Extinguishers and fire blankets are for small, newly started fires; the list also describes wrapping a fire blanket around the body during escape. “Respirators” means filtering fire-escape devices. External wound-care supplies include hemostatic powder, adhesive dressings, gauze and bandages. A Cochrane analysis of 98 studies involving 2,605,044 people found an injury incidence rate ratio of 0.89 with home safety interventions (95% CI 0.78–1.01). Interventions delivered at home reduced injury incidence by about 25%: IRR 0.75, 95% CI 0.62–0.91.
Context & considerations
The evidence is mixed. In the same Cochrane review, interventions that did not supply equipment reduced injuries by about 20% (IRR 0.78, 95% CI 0.66–0.92); supplying equipment did not produce better results. Education and home modifications appear to drive the reduction, so equipment receives a medium rather than large benefit rating. When buying in China, look for the CCC mark; a stored-pressure extinguisher's gauge should be in the green. See alarms, tourniquets, and the household emergency equipment checklist for choosing, storing and replacing individual items.
Research & references
Ministry of Emergency Management of China (2020). National Basic Household Emergency Supplies Checklist. https://www.mem.gov.cn/kp/shaq/202011/t20201129_372149.shtml ; Kendrick D et al. (2012). Home safety education and provision of safety equipment for injury prevention. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD005014.pub3 ; Wusheng County Administration for Market Regulation (2025). Consumer guidance on portable extinguishers, fire doors/windows and point-type heat/smoke detectors. https://www.wusheng.gov.cn/gasylbzj/c109568/zzzq/content/content_1988424970198126592.html