Fire Safety

Ensuring our customers’ homes provide a safe place to live is our main priority. So we regularly review our fire safety arrangements to help identify areas for improvement and ensure we keep up to date with Government legislation and guidance.

We have no properties with ACM type cladding (Aluminium Composite Material), but in light of the tragic events at Grenfell Tower we are now implementing more comprehensive fire safety assessments of all our blocks of four storeys or more. We will also be running fire safety sessions in our schemes over the coming months.

We carry out annual fire risk assessments in all our buildings with communal areas to ensure that fire equipment is well maintained, routes of escape are kept clear, have adequate lighting and signage and that there are no other risks that need to be addressed.

You’ll find a fire action notice displayed in the entrance or ground floor communal area of your building which will tell you what action to take in the event of a fire or the fire alarm sounding, you should read this notice to ensure you are aware of what to do. Remember, if you have a fire in your own home (or a fire or smoke affects it from elsewhere), you should leave immediately and call 999.

This is the first stage in a fully comprehensive review of our fire safety arrangements in response to the Grenfell Tower enquiry and Dame Judith Hackitt’s independent review of building regulations and fire safety.

We work closely with the fire authorities and the local council to ensure all our fire safety requirements are met and kept up-to-date.

There are a number of things that you can do to help keep your home and your building safe from fire:

• Keep corridors and communal areas clear. Items which may block free movement in communal areas could help a fire to spread and may also block the routes of escape. This includes not leaving mobility scooters, pushchairs, bicycles, laundry, shoes or any other items in communal areas, entranceways or corridors.

• If you have one, keep your balcony clear at all times. Balcony fires are not uncommon and often caused through the poor disposal of cigarette ends. Flammable items left on balconies can increase this risk, so do not use barbecues or gas bottles on your balcony.

• Never leave any open flames such as candles unattended.

• If you smoke in your home, make sure all cigarettes are properly extinguished, it’s safer to smoke outside.

• If you use portable heaters, make sure they are never covered or near any other items, and turn them off if you are going out

• Make sure your electrical appliances and devices are in good condition, and if you are going away for extended periods turn them off or unplug them.

• Make sure the fire doors in both your home and communal areas are not propped open (unless fitted with approved devices linked to the fire alarm system) and kept closed at all times – this is very important in preventing the spread of smoke and fire.

• Do not tamper with the electrical or gas supplies in your home, if you have problems report them to us immediately.

• Do not block any air vents in your home.

• Check and test the smoke alarms in your home monthly and report to us if they are not working (we will test and maintain those in communal areas).

• Always allow us access to your property to carry out your annual Gas Safety service and inspection.

If you have any questions or concerns about fire safety, please contact your housing officer.

For more advice and guidance on fire safety visit your local fire brigade website www.dsfire.gov.uk