Fire safety

A Fire Risk Assessment is a report on the communal areas of a building which details any potential fire risks, recommendations and actions and the risk level connected with them. FRA’s also check that existing fire safety measures in place are enough.

FRA’s are done on either an yearly or three yearly bases, depending on the type of building. These assessments contain recommendations and actions that we must review. 

If you live in an HMO (House of Multiple Occupancy) or Independent Living scheme, you will have an yearly risk assessment. If you live in our general needs blocks of flats, you will have three yearly assessments.

We use an external contractor, Essential Safety, to complete all our Fire Risk Assessments.

An action that has been highlighted during an FRA is something that is required to be completed by us, to ensure your safety in line with Fire Regulations. These actions include things such as repairs to communal or front entrance doors, or installation of additional signage.

A recommendation that has been highlighted during an FRA is something that should be reviewed by us and a decision made as to whether this is a realistic option for the building. Recommendations will generally not have major impact on fire safety. There are occasions where the recommendations made are not suitable for the building type, or there is an alternative to the suggested options, in which case the recommendation will be closed with an explanation given as to decisions made.

Our responsible person is our Health & Safety and Compliance Manager. The responsible person is legally responsible for taking reasonable steps to reduce the risk of a fire and ensuring you can safely escape the premises if there is a fire. The responsible person works alongside other teams within our organisation to achieve this.

In addition to the Fire Risk Assessments, we’ll ensure that all non-residential and communal areas, owned and/or managed by us, are inspected by one of our property assets surveyors every six months. Any issues identified by our surveyors will be rectified accordingly.

Fire can strike when you least expect it, often during the night. Find out more about many aspects of fire safety and what you can do to help prevent fires starting in your home here.

Should a fire break out, please see below property types for what you should do:

Flats and Independent Living: In all communal areas there are fire action notices advising you on what to do in the event of a fire. Please ensure you are familiar with these. You’ll also receive one when you move in. You can view your fire action notice below, which guides you through the steps you should take.

Find the fire action notice for flats, here

Find the fire action notice for Independent Living, here

Maisonettes and houses: Plan an escape route ahead of time, with a second way out in case the normal route you would use is blocked. Ensure everyone in your house understands the escape plan and knows what to do – take a few minutes to practice. Always keep your escape routes clear of obstructions and ensure that everyone in the house knows where door and window keys are kept.

Should a fire break out in your house, keep calm and act quickly getting everyone out as soon as possible.

If there is smoke, keep low to the ground where visibility should be better. Before you open any doors, check the door with the back of your hand – if this is warm, do not open the door.

Call 999 as soon as you can, ask for the Fire Service and follow their instructions (familiarise yourself with your postcode as this can help them in locating your address quicker).

If your escape route is blocked, get everyone into a room (ideally with a window and a phone). Put bedding or towels around the bottom of the door to prevent smoke coming in. Call 999 and ask for the Fire Service and follow their instructions. If you can, open the window and shout for help.

Carbon monoxide is an odourless, colourless gas which is produced when any fossil fuel doesn’t burn properly and can be harmful to your health.

Signs that carbon monxide may be present include:

• Gas flames which normally burn blue will burn orange or yellow.
• Sooty stains on or near appliances.
• Coal or wood fires burn slowly or go out.

Further guidance on symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning can be found here. If you are concerned about your gas appliances or notice any of the above warning signs, please contact us.

Do:

• Use a Gas Safe registered engineer to install or maintain your appliances.
• Ensure your appliances are maintained in line with the manufacturer’s guidelines.
• Ensure that all chimneys and flues are regularly maintained to prevent blockages.
• Allow us access to service your boiler each year.

Don’t:

• Use a gas appliance if you think it’s not working properly.
• Cover an appliance or block the air vents.
• Block or obstruct any fixed ventilation grilles or air bricks.
• Block or cover outside flues.

Carbon monoxide alarms

Under the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (Amendment) Regulations 2022, we’ll ensure a carbon monoxide alarm is fitted in any room used as living accommodation which contains a fixed combustion appliance (excluding gas cookers).

• Test carbon monoxide detectors in your home at least once a month to make sure they’re working correctly.
• Check your carbon monoxide detectors are in date – an out-of-date detector will generally still function if it sounds when tested.

If your alarm is not sounding when tested and/or your detector is not in date, please contact us.

If your carbon monoxide alarm is sounding, or you suspect there to be a carbon monoxide leak:

Don’t switch on any appliances and immediately:

• Open all doors and windows.
• Call Cadent Gas on the Gas Emergency number: 0800 111 999.
• Contact us at 01933 234450.

Fire detection – smoke/heat and CO alarms

Test smoke detectors in your home at least once a month to make sure they are working correctly. Check to make sure they’re still in date. An out-of-date detector will generally still function in the event of a fire if sounds during your testing. If your alarm is not sounding and/or your detector is not in date, please contact us.

If your smoke alarm starts beeping, this likely means the battery needs to be changed. Please follow our guide here on how you can check to see if you can change the battery yourself, or whether you need to contact us to replace the detector.

We’ll check and service all detectors in your home when we carry out your annual gas safety check. 

If you feel as though the detectors in your home aren’t suitable for your needs (such as being hard of hearing), please get in touch. If required, there are options available that can be fitted. Please visit our ‘How do I apply for wet rooms, stair lifts and other adaptations to my home?’ FAQ here, for more information.

Items in communal areas and/or balconies

Communal areas must be kept clear of any items (including, but not limited to, mobility scooters, e-scooters, buggies, general refuse, bicycles, mats and rugs). This includes items being left in meter cupboards or in bin stores (if not placed correctly in the bins). 

Any items left in communal areas will be served with a ‘TORTs notice’ (a legal document that notifies the owner of objects abandoned on private land or property). This notice allows for seven days for the items to be removed by the owner. After this has expired, we will remove the items to ensure escape routes out of the building aren’t blocked in the event of a fire. If you notice items left in the communal areas, please contact us.

Fire doors and internal doors

One of the most important doors in your home is the one in your kitchen (unless your home is designed with a kitchen/diner). Please ensure your kitchen door is closed when the kitchen is not in use, particularly at night.

If you don’t have a door on your kitchen, but you have a door lining, contact us so we can assess what type of door you may require. If you are unsure, please get in touch with us and we can advise further.

To report a repair to your own door or a communal door, contact us. Find our handy fire doors fact sheet here: Fire doors fact sheet

Fire extinguishers – Independent Living only

There is fire extinguishers installed around our Independent Living schemes. These are checked monthly and are serviced annually. On either the extinguisher or on a sign above, it will let you know what type of fire the extinguisher can be used for.

If you notice an extinguisher is missing or damaged, please either let your Independent Living Officer or our Customer Services team know so we can get a repair/replacement arranged.

In the event of a fire, please do not attempt to use one of the extinguishers, your Independent Living Officer is trained on how to use these. If your Independent Living Officer isn’t onsite, please follow the instructions on your fire action notice.

Find additional information on how you can keep your home safe from fire, here.

Please note that smoke and CO detectors in our properties are fitted by Greatwell Homes. If you have any concerns or questions, please contact us.