Fire safety is everyone's responsibility
It's up to all of us to stay on top of fire safety. From simple, day-to-day tasks like not overloading your plug sockets to checking the battery in your smoke detectors each month, we should all take time to prevent fires.
As your landlord, we'll take care of installing smoke and Carbon Monoxide (CO) detectors on every floor of your home, repairing them if they break, and regularly carrying out safety checks in any communal areas.
How we ensure you're safe
- Regularly inspect and maintain your building, so it meets safety standards
- Carry out regular fire risk assessments in properties with internal communal areas (hallways and corridors)
- Service and maintain fire alarm systems in your building
- Carry out electrical tests to all communal areas
How you can stay safe
- Test your smoke alarms weekly and tell us if they are not working
- Let us know if you spot any fire hazards in communal areas
- Don’t overload plug sockets, replace sockets which are broken or have loose connections
- Do not use portable gas heaters, paraffin heaters or store any flammable liquid in your home other than small amounts of household products
- Adhere to our ‘Keep Clear & Safe’ policy. Details of how the policy relates to your home can be found in your communal area. In the event of a fire in another property, you should be safe to stay inside your own home. However, if you do not feel safe, you should exit the building.
Smoke free homes
In line with the Government’s aim to make all homes smoke free by 2030, we’re promoting our homes as smoke free, to encourage a healthier home for you and your family and help to reduce the risk of a fire. When smoking outside, please try to reduce smoke drifting over to your neighbours and take care when disposing of your cigarette by making sure it’s fully extinguished.
If you’ve decided you want to quit smoking, we’re here to support you and can let you know where to find further information and guidance. Visit our support and wellbeing page to find out more and take a look at the below leaflet.
Storage in communal cupboards
It’s our responsibility under health and safety law to inspect the communal areas of our buildings, and the frequency of these visits will depend on the potential risk. Communal areas are the spaces we all share, and include stairways, landings, meter cupboards and any other rooms which are not inside your property, including the storage cupboards in your block.
Your block will have a fire strategy policy which will tell you exactly what you should do in the event of a fire in your or flat or block. You can find the fire strategy notice in the entrance lobby of your building which explains this policy in more detail.
To avoid the risk of a fire in your building, when using storage cupboards please:
- Keep the room locked. You should use the lock provided as any additional locks may damage the fire door and do not allow for the required checks to be made.
- Keep the contents to a minimum. Keep the quantity of items to a minimum and never store items which are highly flammable, hazardous chemicals, gas containers or flammable liquids such as paint, oil, petrol, untreated wood, batteries, paper or cardboard.
- Don't use the plugs. Avoid using the plugs in the room to run any electrical appliances, like a freezer or tumble dryer.
For more information about staying fire safe at home and the steps you should take to help prevent a fire, take a look at the leaflet below. And remember, if you spot something that’s not quite right, such as a faulty smoke detector or damaged fire door, please let us know as soon as possible.
Call us if you're concerned
If there's an appliance in your home which we provided before you moved in, or something in a communal area, that's causing you concern for the safety of you & your neighbours, get in touch with us.
