Staying safe in your home in Harrogate

Our properties are all fitted with smoke alarms. Please test them once a week by holding down the test button until the siren sounds. Consider setting a reminder on your phone to ensure you don’t forget.

A few of our properties use battery-powered smoke alarms.  If the battery runs low, the alarm will chirp to let you know.  Please get in touch and we will replace it for free.

Please help keep communal areas, corridors and stairwells clear of rubbish or anything flammable. Remember, that corridor may be your only means of escape in a fire.  Please let us know if you notice things being left in communal spaces.

Here are some other fire safety tips:

• keep all fires and heaters well-guarded, especially open fires
• keep portable heaters and candles away from furniture and curtains. Position safely where they cannot be knocked over
• don't dry or air clothes over or near the fire, or the cooker
• do not smoke in bed
• many fires start in the kitchen, especially fat fires. Never leave a pan unattended when deep fat frying and watch for overheating. For safer frying use a thermostatically controlled deep fat fryer, or better still an air fryer or oven chips
• if there are children around, keep matches and lighters well out of reach
• plan your escape route and remember the ‘get out, stay out and call the fire brigade out’ message

Gas leaks

If you ever discover, or suspect, a gas leak, you should:

• switch off the incoming gas supply (a valve is fitted to your gas meter)
• open all the windows
• call the gas emergency number 0800 111 999
• not use, or switch on, any electrical appliance as a spark could ignite the leaking gas and cause an explosion

We arrange for annual safety checks for all gas appliances installed in our properties. This is a legal requirement. The inspections are carried out by a contractor on our behalf.

As our tenant, you are obliged to let our contractor into your home to carry out the safety checks.  You will be contacted 10 weeks before your home’s current gas safety certificate expires with details of what needs to happen.

Carbon monoxide

The poisonous gas carbon monoxide is often described as the silent killer because it has no smell or taste.  You can protect yourself and your family by not blocking air bricks, flus or outside ventilation grilles or rest anything against them.

We fit carbon monoxide detectors in any room where there is a solid fuel or other open-flued appliance, where the risk of carbon monoxide is higher.

All the gas boilers we fit are 'room sealed appliances'. That means there is no risk of carbon monoxide entering your home unless there is a serious defect with the appliance. With our annual gas servicing the risk of such defects is very, very low.

Where there's a boiler in a bedroom we fit a carbon monoxide detector as an additional precaution although, again, the risk of carbon monoxide leaking from the appliance is extremely low.

In kitchens, we're now fitting detectors which sound an alarm if there’s a rise in either heat or carbon monoxide. They're not a legal requirement yet but we're fitting them to keep you as safe as possible.

If you are ever concerned about the electrics in your home, please let us know so we can arrange for it to be checked.

You shouldn’t carry out any works on the electrical system yourself nor even ask a professional to do any works without our permission.

Here are other ways you can ensure you use electricity safely:

• do not overload electrical sockets which are usually designed to cope with a maximum of 3,000 watts each
• avoid using extension leads or multi-sockets, especially with appliances that are power-hungry
• be very careful when using electrical appliances outside
• use an RCD safety socket adapter when using electric garden equipment so the supply is cut if any cables are cut or damaged
• do not use mains powered appliances in wet areas (such as the bathroom)
• do not use appliances with worn or damaged flexes
• make sure any electric blankets are serviced regularly and switch them off before you go to sleep
• have any appliance which appears to be faulty checked by an expert before you use it again
• only buy or use electric appliances which carry the CE mark

Most serious accidents occur in our kitchens.  To stay safe make sure you:

• keep the floor clear and free from trip hazards
• never leave pots and pans on the hob unattended
• make sure pan handles are turned inwards so that children cannot reach them and pull them over. 
• plan where you store items so that heavy or bulky things are not kept on high shelves and items you use regularly are easy to reach
• if fitted, use a cooker hood/extractor 
• take extra care with hot water, tea, coffee or soup
• keep knives sharp and in good condition and out of reach of children
• use a cordless kettle or one with a coiled lead so that children cannot pull on them

Most of us keep a surprising range and number of chemical products in our homes. In most cases these will be in household cleaners and medicines and it's important we handle them carefully and always follow label instructions.

Here are some safety tips:

• consider having a proper lockable cabinet fitted in the kitchen for medicines and chemicals where it is more likely to be supervised
• keep medicines in their original containers, clearly labelled
• do not take other people's medicine, or let them take yours
• return leftover medicines to the pharmacist for destruction - don't hoard them
• keep medicines, chemical and cleaning products such as bleach, turps and caustic soda where children cannot see or reach them
• chemicals used in the garden, garage or workshop need to be used and stored with great care. Store them in a safe place where children can't see or reach them
• keep cosmetics, perfumes and essential oils away from children
• store household cleaning products in a different place from food and medicine
• mixing household products can cause dangerous gases to form

If there are stairs and / or landings in your home or as part of the access to your home, for example in a block of flats, check that everything is in good condition.

All the steps should be undamaged and not move when you put your weight on them. Wooden stairs may often creak a little but still be safe.

The handrail should be firmly attached to its supports and not feel loose or wobbly when you use it.

The bars or spindles of any balustrading between the handrail and the stair or landing should be firmly fixed and not broken and no more than 100mm (four inches) apart.

If you have concerns about the state of repair of your stairs, handrails or balustrades, or those you use to get to your flat, please contact us to arrange an inspection or repair. 

Safety experts tell us that over-ambition and lack of knowledge or expertise are two of the biggest factors which so often lead to DIY accidents and injuries. 

Please remember that any major repairs to your property are our responsibility and you must not attempt to do these yourself. 

Our staff are trained and qualified to do the work and ensure its completed to the required standards. If you're not sure whether you should be doing something yourself first please contact us for advice.

Here are some safety tips for gardening or DIY work:

• wear appropriate clothing and sturdy shoes when mowing the lawn and keep your feet and hands well away from the mower blades
• stop and disconnect all electrical appliances and tools before working on them
• ensure that all tools, paint and chemicals are kept safely out of the reach of children
• take extra care with sharp cutting tools
• follow makers' instructions very carefully when using adhesives, especially the instant type
• use an RCD - residual current device – with all electric appliances
• keep children and pets away when you carrying out DIY work
• keep barbecues away from trees, buildings and fences and never pour or use petrol on a barbecue
• keep all products in their original containers

Water in your home

Water which is allowed to stagnate or kept at the wrong temperature can be a source of harmful micro-organisms but there are some simple steps you can take to ensure the water supply to your home is safe.

1. If you've been away for a few days or you’ve not used your water supply for a long period always remember to flush the system through before you use any water. Leave the taps running for a few minutes to clear any water which has been held in the system.
2. Remember to keep showerheads and tap fittings clean and free from scale. Water can pool and stagnate in shower heads and other fittings so it's important to remove these regularly and clean thoroughly.
3. Spray attachments to taps can be home to all sorts of germs. If you have a fitting of this type and you need help to remove it, contact us.
4. Store water at the correct temperature in your home. Domestic hot water thermostats should be set between 60 and 65 degrees centigrade. This is the temperature which will kill harmful bacteria including Legionella. However, if your water is too hot it can cause a serious risk of scalding.
5. Make sure you know where the stop tap is in your home and that you're able to close it if you need to turn your water off urgently. If you find yourself unable to reach your stop-tap, perhaps because of reduced mobility, please contact us and we will fit a ‘Sure Stop’ switch that can be put somewhere easy to reach and lets you shut off the water supply quickly and easily. Kitchens fitted by us in the last 10 years are likely to have one already, sometimes fitted inside a cupboard near the kitchen sink
6. Never attempt plumbing work yourself or ask private plumbers to undertake work on your behalf.
7. Report immediately any change in water colour or pressure and damaged or missing insulation on pipes or hot water cylinder jackets.
8. For all queries or concerns about the plumbing or water in your home please contact us. In some instances we’ll need to refer you to your water supplier but please check with us first.

Water in the garden

Water in a garden can be great fun but it can also be a hazard without sensible safety precautions. 

Here are some simple tips to keep you and your family safe:

1. Don’t have a pond if you have children who are five years old or younger. If you have older children or household members a little unsteady on their feet make sure ponds have a fence or other barrier around them.
2. If you're digging a pond, make sure it's situated so that you can see it from the house, ideally from a kitchen window or somewhere similar.
3. Always flush through your hosepipe before using it to fill paddling pools or other features people will use. A hosepipe wound up on a reel creates a series of reservoirs of water within the tube which can host potentially dangerous micro-organisms.
4. If you're watering plants directly with a hosepipe, flush through the hosepipe before you use any form of spray attachment - fine sprays of water can easily be inhaled.
5. If you have an outside tap and can isolate the water to it turn this off during the winter months to avoid freezing and damage to interior piping. Otherwise, cover the tap with insulation. Cheap insulating covers are readily available in garden centres and hardware stores.

Asbestos can be found in any building built before the year 2000.

Any home, including houses, bungalows and flats built by us and our predecessors, may have materials containing asbestos. However, if they are in good condition and not disturbed there's no danger to you and your family.

We take our responsibility for managing asbestos in our buildings seriously, and will always take the necessary precautions when working with materials which contain asbestos in your home.

We'll tell you if our contractors are going to do any work in your home that might involve disturbing asbestos and will use licensed contractors if we need to remove it.

If you're thinking of tackling some home improvements, or DIY, in your home, you must ask permission before you start work. It's part of your tenancy agreement.

We suggest you visit the Health and Safety Executive website which has some good advice about asbestos.

If you think you might disturb, cut, drill or damage anything with asbestos containing materials, stop immediately. It's much better to wait and seek advice than risk your health.

If you're concerned about asbestos in your home, please contact us. 

We will be happy to provide more information and advice.