Fire safety
Almost all fires in the home can be prevented. We can give you advice on how to reduce the risk of a fire
Almost all fires in the home can be prevented. To reduce the risk of fire in your home you should:
- not leave candles unattended
- keep matches away from children
- never smoke in bed
- unplug electrical appliances, especially at night
- close all doors at night
- make sure that portable heaters cannot be knocked over and that they are not too close to furniture.
Chip pans and deep fat fryers
These are the most common causes of fire in the home. If you follow some simple steps you will keep your kitchen safe. Remember:
- never leave a pan unattended when the heat is switched on
- never fill a pan more than one third full of oil or fat
- never put food in the pan if the oil or fat begins to give off smoke - turn off the heat and leave the oil or fat to cool, otherwise it could catch fire.
If the pan does catch fire:
- do not move it
- never throw water onto the fire - instead cover the pan with a damp towel or cloth and leave for at least 30 minutes
- turn off the heat, if it is safe to do so
- never lean over the pan to reach the cooker controls
- if you are not sure whether to try to put out the chip pan fire yourself, then don't - leave the room, close the door and call the fire service.
Portable electric heaters
Never put a heater near furnishings or clothes. Do not sit too close to a heater.
Communal areas
We are unable to allow residents to store personal items in communal areas. These could include plants and plant pots, bicycles, mobility scooters, rubbish, black bags, door mats, motorcycles, indeed anything which could cause a hazard to you and your neighbours in the event of a fire. When fire takes hold, communal rooms and corridors can fill with smoke quite quickly and we have to make sure that everybody can escape if needed.
We have to comply with Fire Safety Regulations in order to ensure the safety of you, your visitors and our staff and we must have your co-operation to achieve this.
Please do not store any personal items in the communal arrears. These areas are checked on a regular basis and we will have no choice but to remove and dispose of any personal items we find in these communal areas. We will not offer any compensation for items we have to remove and notices will be placed in locations to remind residents.
