Fire safety in your home

You should ensure you that you test the smoke alarm in your home and keep exits clear.

Every year, in the UK, there are approximately 500 fire related deaths. The majority of these occur within the home between 12am and 6am when people are asleep.

Smoke alarms give you advance warning of fire and more time to react. You only have minutes to escape a fire so every second counts.

We check smoke alarms annually and replace or upgrade them where necessary. If your smoke alarms are not working or you don’t have one, please contact us on 0300 131 2 131 (please say ‘housing repairs’ when prompted).

We carry out periodic fire risk assessments for all communal areas in blocks of flats.

We will provide annually, and at the start of tenancy a fire safety booklet to all residents of blocks of flats and independent living/sheltered schemes which have communal areas.

We will carry out improvements to properties to improve fire safety, such as installing new fire doors.

How to plan for a fire

• plan your escape
• think about how you would get out of your home if the normal way is blocked
• keep all escape routes clear of rubbish or bulky items at all times
• tell everyone in the house where the door and window keys are kept
• if you live in a block of flats make sure you read and understand guidance provided and notices in the communal area of your block

Fire safety tips

You should:

• test smoke alarms weekly
• keep matches and lighters well out of the reach of children
• sit at least three feet away from heaters
• close all doors as this helps to prevent fire spreading
• switch off and unplug electrical appliances except those that are meant to stay on, like the fridge
• check your cooker and heaters are turned off

If you smoke, use deep ashtrays so that cigarettes cannot roll out, and do not throw hot ash into the bin.

You should not:

• obstruct any escape routes from your home with rubbish or bulky items
• smoke in bed or in an armchair if you think you may fall asleep
• leave a lit cigarette, pipe or candle unattended
• put a heater near clothes or furniture
• overload electrical sockets
• use a barbecue on flat balcony (or inside the flat)
• leave pans unattended when cooking

If a pan does catch fire:

• don’t throw water on it – it will make it worse
• turn off the heat if you can do safely. If in any doubt, leave the room, close the door, shout to warn others to get out and call 999

E-bikes, scooters and fire safety

Most e-bikes and e-scooters bought from reputable manufacturers meet UK safety regulations, but some safety issues arise from converter kits. These are lithium-ion battery packs designed to convert a standard bike to an e-bike.

There are concerns about these converter kits sold online, which do not meet UK safety regulations and present an increased fire risk.

Safety advice for e-bikes and scooters

• Never charge your electric bikes or scooters while you’re sleeping or not at home
• Never block your escape route with your e-bike or scooter
• Never tamper with the battery and always follow the manufacturer’s instructions
• Never cover your charger - this could lead to it overheating or catching fire
• Always unplug your charger once it’s finished charging
• Always use the correct charger
• Check your battery and charger meets UK safety standards