ASBESTOS
If you have recently moved into your home and the property was built prior to the year 2000 you will have been given an asbestos report advising if there is asbestos present in your home. Asbestos is not harmful if left undisturbed. Most asbestos found in homes is in textured coatings, cupboards or external sills. If you have any concerns or are intending to work in any if these areas then please contact our Repairs Department for advice before undertaking any work including drilling and fixing.
TESTING YOUR SMOKE ALARM
- Test the batteries in your smoke alarm every week.
- Never remove the smoke alarms or the batteries.
- Test it by pressing the button until the alarm sounds. Contact our Repairs Team on 0800 068 1466 if you have any issues.
- Strobe light and vibrating pad alarms are available for those who are deaf or hard of hearing. Contact your Local Authority, Occupational Health Department for a referral.
PREVENT FIRES IN YOUR HOME
- Avoid leaving children in the kitchen alone when cooking on the hob.
- Keep saucepan handles out of their reach.
- Take extra care if you need to leave the kitchen whilst cooking, take pans off the heat or turn them down to avoid risk.
- Take care if you’re wearing loose clothing – they can easily catch fire.
- Keep tea towels and cloths away from the cooker and hob.
- Spark devices are safer than matches or lighters to light gas cookers because they don’t have a naked flame. Double check the cooker is off when you’ve finished cooking.
AVOID ELECTRICAL FIRES
- Always check that you use the right fuse to prevent overheating.
- Make sure an electrical appliance has a British or European safety mark when you buy it.
- Try and keep to one plug per socket, especially for items such as washing machines.
- Keep electrics (leads and appliances) away from water.
- Check toasters are clean and placed away from curtains and kitchen rolls.
- Keep the oven, hob, and grill clean and in good working order. A build up of fat and grease can ignite a fire.
- Don’t put anything metal in the microwave.
- Look for signs of dangerous or loose wiring such as scorch marks, hot plugs and sockets, fuses that blow or circuit-breakers that trip for no obvious reasons, or flickering lights.
- Unplug appliances when you’re not using them or when you go to bed.
- Stub cigarettes out properly and dispose of them carefully. Put them out, right out!
- Never smoke in bed.
- Use a proper ashtray – never a wastepaper basket.
- Don’t leave a lit cigarette, cigar or pipe lying around. They can easily fall over and start a fire.
- Take extra care if you smoke when you’re tired, taking prescription drugs, or if you’ve been drinking. You might fall asleep and set your bed or sofa on fire.
- Keep matches and lighters out of children’s reach.
- Consider buying child resistant lighters and match boxes.
- Always ensure that your furniture has the fire-resistant permanent label.
- Store electric blankets flat, rolled up or loosely folded to prevent damaging the internal wiring.
- Unplug electric blankets before you get into bed unless it has a thermostat control for safe all-night use.
- Try not to buy secondhand blankets and check regularly for wear and tear.
- Make sure candles are secured in a proper holder and away from materials that may catch fire, like curtains.
- Put candles out when you leave the room, and make sure they’re put out completely at night.
- Use a snuffer or a spoon to put out candles. It’s safer than blowing them out when sparks can fly.
- Children and pets shouldn’t be left alone and unattended while candles are lit.
- Plan an escape route and make sure everyone knows how to escape.
- Keep exits clear.
- The best route is the normal way in and out of your home.
- Think of a second route in case the first one is blocked.
- Take a few minutes to practice your escape plan.
- Review your plan if the layout of your home changes.
- If you can’t get out, get everyone into one room with a window and a phone.
- Put bedding around the bottom of the door to block out the smoke,
- then open the window and call “HELP FIRE”.
- If you’re on the ground floor, you may be able to escape through a window.
- Use bedding to break your fall and lower yourself down carefully.
- Don’t jump.
- If the window if locked break the glass in the bottom corner. Cover jagged edges with a towel or blanket.
Avoid using lifts if there is a fire. It is easy to get confused in smoke, so count how many doors you need to go through to reach the stairs. Check there is nothing in the corridors or stairways that could catch fire – like boxes or rubbish. Make sure doors to stairways are not locked. Make sure everyone in the building knows where the fire alarms are. You will still have a smoke alarm for your own home, even if there is a warning system in the block.
- Turn off and unplug electrical appliances unless they are designed to be left on.
- Close inside doors at night to stop a fire from spreading.
- Check your cooker is turned off.
- Don’t leave the washing machine on.
- Turn heaters off and put-up fireguards.
- Put candles and cigarettes out properly.
- Make sure exits are kept clear. Keep house keys where everyone can find them.
Don’t tackle fires alone – leave it to the fire brigade.
Keep calm and act quickly, get everyone out as soon as possible.
Don’t waste time trying to see what’s happened or rescuing valuables.
Before you open a door check if it’s warm. If it is, don’t open it – fire is on the other side.
If there’s smoke, keep close to the ground where the air is clearer.
Call 999 as soon as you’re clear of the building. 999 calls are free.
ELECTRIC BIKES AND SCOOTERS
Electric bikes and scooters contain rechargeable lithium-ion batteries which present a fire risk and should be stored and used in a safe manner. Fires caused by these types of batteries can cause explosions or fires that spread rapidly.
Safe storage of e-bikes and scooters is essential to ensure that they do not obstruct areas during an emergency evacuation. E-bikes and scooters should not be stored in common close areas or in hallways in homes. Please follow manufacturer instructions on the safe storage and maintenance of lithium-ion batteries.
Please follow safe charging practices and charging times:
- Unplug chargers when the battery is full to ensure that batteries do not overcharge.
- E-bikes and scooters should not be stored or charged near combustible or flammable materials.
- Batteries should not be charged while users are asleep, or away from the home. Stay alert and keep an eye on charging devices.
- Chargers or batteries should not be covered when charging.
- Check batteries regularly for any signs of damage and, if it appears damaged, do not use or charge it until the battery is replaced.
TENANT ADVICE REGARDING LEGIONELLA
When you first move into your home, run the bath and hand basin taps for at least five minutes. This will flush out any bacteria.
If your shower has not been used for a week or more, run water from both hot and cold supplies through the shower hose and showerhead for two minutes. To make sure that water doesn’t spray, cover the shower head with a cloth or run it into a bucket or bath.
If your shower has not been used for two weeks or more, disinfect the showerhead. The showerhead should be removed, and the shower run for two minutes. Disinfect the showerhead by immersing it for at least a hour in any solution designed for cleaning baby feeding bottles (e.g. Milton). Showerheads should be regularly disinfected about four times a year.
Raise the temperature to 60°C or higher. Temperatures above 60°C will kill Legionella bacteria so make sure that the temperature of the hot water in your boiler/cylinder is set at a minimum of 60°C. Beware of burns and scalding and take extra care if you have children. Legionella can survive in low temperatures, but thrives at temperatures between 20°C and 45°C.
If your property has been unoccupied for a while (e.g. after a holiday), flush the whole water system for two minutes. First flush your toilet, then let the kitchen taps and the hand basin taps run to let both hot and cold-water pass through. Next, flush the shower through as described above. Finally, let any other taps run for two minutes.