Our priority is that our customers feel safe and comfortable in their homes. We carry out regular risk assessments in all of our buildings and their communal areas to check for any problems and solve them as quickly as possible. If you discover a problem in your home or building, make sure you report it to us so we can arrange to repair it.
There are also steps you can take to keep your home and family safe from fire:
Check your smoke alarms
Make sure to check the smoke alarms in your home regularly, ideally once a week. You can do this by holding down the button on the alarm - if the alarm doesn't make a sound, you will need to change the batteries.
Cooking
When cooking in your home, make sure you follow basic safety precautions:
- If your cooker is in use, don’t leave children alone in the kitchen
- Keep tea towels, cloths and other flammable materials away from the cooker when it's in use
- Make sure your cooking appliances are switched off properly when you're not using them
Smoking in your home
If you choose to smoke in your home:
- Use glass, metal or ceramic ashtrays that won't catch fire
- Make sure to stub out your cigarette properly and check it isn't still lit
- Don’t smoke in bed
- Do not smoke in communal areas
Keep communal areas clear of rubbish
Communal areas should be clear of rubbish to make sure it's easy for all residents to use fire escape routes. Rubbish can also cause accidents if people are trying to escape in a hurry.
While we understand leaving buggies and/or other similar items on the ground floor might make it easier to leave and return to your property, please don’t leave them in the communal areas. They could prevent you and/or your family from evacuating the building in an emergency. And it may hinder firefighters from doing their job. All items found in communal areas will be permanently disposed of for your safety.
All communal storage areas, such as utilities and riser cupboards should always be clear. Items left in these areas pose a serious fire risk.
External communal areas should also be clear and tidy. Items left in communal gardens for example, may pose a trip hazard when people are escaping a building.
Balcony safety
- Keep your balcony clear – do not store lots of items and/or flammable recycling materials, such as cardboard, on your balcony
- Don’t affix additional timber or flammable screening to your balcony
- Don’t use your balcony as a barbecue area
- If you have decorative lighting on your balcony, ensure that it is rated for external use and that the power connection is inside, away from the effects of the weather
Electrical safety
Make sure electrical devices are safe in your home:
- Regularly check for any hot plugs or plugs that have black or dark marks
- Check for broken or loose wires
- If you find any electrical faults in your home, contact us to arrange a repair
What to do if there is a fire
If you discover a fire in your building, you should follow your usual fire safety procedures. Make sure you and your household familiarise yourselves with the fire safety procedures for your building, including the location of your nearest fire exits and assembly points.