Fire Safety Leaflets

Did you know?

• You’re around eight times more likely to die in a fire if you don’t have a working smoke alarm in your home
• Around half of home fires are caused by cooking accidents
• About three fires a day are started by heaters
• Two fires a day are started by candles
• Every six days someone dies from a fire caused by a cigarette
• Faulty electrics (appliances, wiring, and overloaded sockets) cause around 4,000 fires in the home across the UK every year

Source: gov.uk

 

Introduction

This leaflet provides general fire safety information for all homes. 

Please take time to read it to make sure you know how to reduce the likelihood of a fire and know what to do if one occurs.

In a block of flats, people have a shared responsibility for each other’s safety.

If items are left in exit routes, it can prevent others from escaping and also delay the fire service from reaching the source of a fire. Hallways and corridors should be kept clear.

If items are discarded carelessly in bin stores, they won’t be emptied and this can increase the severity of a fire. If you see items stored in exit routes or notice that bin stores are untidy please report these to our Customer Resolution Centre on 0300 304 5000.

 

Fire doors in blocks of flats and sheltered housing

Fire doors and compartment walls are designed to prevent fire from spreading. Flat front doors, store cupboard doors, and lobby doors are fire doors. Lobby and flat front doors should automatically close and latch fully and/or close up to the frame. Fire doors must be kept shut.

If you notice that a flat front door, lobby door, or any internal doors are damaged, not closing fully, or sticking on uneven floors, please report this by calling 0300 304 5000. Don’t try to adjust or disconnect door closers yourself because they’re designed to make sure fire doors close and provide effective fire protection.

You can find out what to do in the event of a fire on our Fire Action notice. This is displayed at the entrance of our blocks, at the end of this leaflet and at bottom of this page.

We carry out monthly checks in blocks of flats to make sure there are no fire hazards, and we check firefighting equipment.

Information on when these checks are carried out is detailed on a signing sheet on the red fire safety noticeboards in our flat blocks.

 

Fire Safety Concerns

If you're in a property which is over 18 metres tall or more than 7 storeys high, please report it on our Mandatory Reporting page.

In any other type of property, you can report all fire safety concerns and fire safety recommendations to our Building Safety Team by emailing info@estuary.co.uk with your address and details of the fire safety concern.

 

Difficulty Escaping

If you’re in a building which is over 5 storeys or 11m high and you would have difficulty evacuating using stairs please contact our Building Safety Team by emailing info@estuary.co.uk or call 0300 304 5000.

We can discuss your needs with you to recommend a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP). This outlines how you’d evacuate your home safely in an emergency. We can record this information in the secure premises information box. This information is then available to the fire service in case of emergency so they can provide assistance when they arrive.

A PEEP might be useful if you have:

• mobility, dexterity, or strength issues;
• sight or hearing impairments;
• cognitive impairments;
• a temporary disability like a broken leg;
• any other reason you feel you couldn’t escape your building on your own.

The fire triangle shows the three elements a fire needs to start: heat, fuel, and oxygen. A fire will naturally occur when all three are present and combined in the right mixture.

A fire can be prevented by removing one of these elements. For example, covering a fire with a fire blanket removes the oxygen. Separating heat sources (like electrical appliances) and fuel (ignitable materials) will prevent a fire from starting.

 

Smoke Alarms

Have you got a smoke alarm?

A smoke alarm reduces the risk of serious injury or death. Mains operated smoke alarms have
been fitted to each floor in all our homes.

If you don’t have a smoke alarm in your hallway or landing, contact us because we’re legally required to install them. You can fit additional smoke alarms, which cost around £5-£15.

Maintain your smoke alarm You should test your smoke alarm once a week. Any battery powered smoke alarms should have the battery changed once a year (unless it has a 10-year
battery). Vacuum the inside to remove dust twice a year.

• Faulty electrical items are a common cause of fire. It’s important to make sure your electrical appliances are in
  good condition.
• Check fuses in plugs are rated correctly.
• Worn or taped up electric cables aren’t safe and should be replaced.
• Hot plugs and sockets, fuses that blow for no obvious reason, flickering lights, scorch marks on sockets or plugs, are all signs of loose wiring or other problems.
• Don’t let cables or plugs get wet and keep liquids away from electrical appliances. For example, don’t put a vase filled with water next to the TV.
• Make sure your kettle doesn’t leak and don’t fill it up when it’s plugged in.

If you think there’s an issue with your electrics, please call us on 0300 304 5000.

 

Good Habits

• Fit one plug per wall socket unless you’re using a multisocket extension lead.
• Switch electrical appliances off at the wall and unplug them when they’re not in use.
• Make sure your appliances are not left on by standby. This is safer, and it’s also environmentally friendly and may save you money.

 

Check Your Appliances

The government’s Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) publish information about unsafe products, including recalls and safety alerts.

Visit the gov.uk website to check the appliances in your home are safe.

You can email info@estuary.co.uk if you have any concerns about unsafe appliances.

 

Personal electric vehicles (PEVs)

PEVs include mobility scooters, e-scooters, and e-bikes. These vehicles are powered by lithium batteries, which can cause devastating fires. Fires relating to these types of vehicles are most common when they’ve been modified, used with the wrong chargers, or fitted with unsafe products bought online. Around 40% of the fires happen when charging batteries, but most occur when the vehicles are static (not charging).

Avoid leaving your battery charging unattended or when you’re asleep. Keep escape routes clear by not leaving PEVs in hallways or corridors. Always buy e-scooters, e-bikes, mobility scooters, chargers, and batteries from reputable retailers, avoid modifying them, and make sure you’re using the correct charger for your vehicle to help
keep safe.

Portable heaters

• Portable heaters should always be used in a safe place where they can’t be knocked or tipped over.
• Keep them away from furniture and fittings.
• Never use a portable heater to dry clothing.
• Only use portable gas heaters in a well-ventilated room.
• Turn off the heater before you go to sleep, or before leaving your home.

Five thousand people are injured in kitchen fires each year.

Cooking

• Never leave pans unattended.
• Don’t fill a deep fat fryer more than one-third full and never put food in it if the oil begins to smoke. Turn off the heat and leave it to cool.
• Water can make hot oil explode so make sure the food you’re cooking in a deep fat fryer is dry.
• If there are flames, don’t throw water over the pan; turn the cooker off.
• Double check that the cooker or the oven is turned off when you’ve finished cooking, and when you go to bed or go out.

Cooker

• Don’t put items on or behind cooker tops and don’t let electrical leads trail over or near the cooker.
• Keep flammable items such as tea towels, cloths, and oven gloves away from the cooker.
• Keep the oven, hob, and grill clean, as a build-up of fat can quickly start a fire.

 

Microwave

• Don’t put anything metallic inside the microwave.

Electrical

Keep electrical leads away from water.
Check the toaster is clean and kept well away from curtains or blinds.

Ventilation

• Make sure your extractor fans or ventilation units are working properly and aren’t blocked up, especially if you have a gas cooker.

Protection

• Place a heat detector in the kitchen.

Children

• Don’t leave children alone in the kitchen and keep matches out of their reach.
  Don’t leave pan handles or kettles where they could be tipped or pulled over.

It’s important that you know where to find the gas safety valve in your home. You may need to switch off the gas supply to your home in an emergency.

What to do if you smell gas:

• Turn off the supply by moving the valve to the off position. If you don’t know where it is, call us on 0300 304 5000.
• Contact National Grid gas immediately on 0800 111 999.
• Don’t smoke or use any matches or lighters.
• Don’t use electrical switches.
• Check to see if the pilot light on your boiler has gone out or if a gas tap has been left on.
• Open doors and windows to increase air ventilation. 

Smoking

• If you smoke, you need to be aware of the fire risks and take steps to avoid them.
• It’s advised that you don’t smoke in bed, as you may fall asleep with the cigarette still alight. This could cause a fire.
• Don’t leave a lit cigarette, cigar, or pipe; make sure it’s fully out. They can overbalance as they burn down, land on something flammable, and start a fire.
• Never leave a cigarette burning on the edge of a shelf or table. Use a proper ashtray and make sure it can’t easily be tipped over.

 

Candles

• Avoid placing candles on or near materials that could burn or catch fire, like curtains.
• Don’t leave lit candles unattended.

 

Has your chimney been swept?

If you have an open fire, you should get your chimney swept once a year.

Is your upholstered furniture fire resistant?

If it was made before 1988, then it’s not fire resistant and can easily be set alight. This will produce clouds of poisonous smoke. You should check the label to make sure.

Balcony Safety

Balconies should not be used for storage or any white goods, such as fridges or tumble driers.

You should not have barbecues or portable/patio heaters on your balcony. Do not let off fireworks or use a fire pit.

Other flammable materials such as gas cylinders are not allowed to be stored and items such as cigarettes need to be put out fully in proper ashtrays. Do not throw them over the edge.

Do you know what you should do if there’s a fire? Does everyone who lives in your home know?

Make your escape plan together

Include everyone who lives in your home, especially children, older people, and consider visitors. Talk through your escape plan including what to do and what not to do.

Choose an escape route

The best escape route is your normal way in and out of your home. Think of any difficulties you may have getting out - day or night. Where possible, choose a second escape route. Keep all escape routes clear of obstructions and keep internal fire doors closed to help reduce the spread of fire.

If there are older people or children in the household, plan the order you would escape in so that if you have to go out of a ground floor or first floor window you can help them.

 

Think about a refuge

If you have difficulty moving or going down stairs on your own, contact us on 0300 304 5000. Our Adaptations Team will consider any changes that need to be made to your home.

As a secondary plan, everyone should consider a room that you can take refuge in if there was a fire and you’re unable to escape. This should be a room with a window, preferably one that can be climbed out of, a door, and material (bedding or clothing), to put under the bottom of the door to block smoke.

Make sure everyone knows where you keep keys

Decide where to keep keys to doors and windows and let everyone in your household know.

Make sure everyone knows what to do

Go through all the points about what to do in a fire. Everyone should know the do’s and don’ts. Put your address by the telephone so that children can read it out to the emergency services. Put a reminder of what to do in a fire somewhere prominent.

 

Tell everyone about any equipment you have

If you have fire extinguishers or fire blankets, make sure you know where they are and how to use them. Extinguishers and
blankets should only be used on an easily containable fire. The priority is always to keep people safe.

Practice the plan

Take a few minutes to ‘walk through’ the plan with everyone. Regularly remind everyone of what to do and what not to do in
a fire.

In the event of a fire

Evacuate if the inside of the property is affected by heat or smoke. If you’re in a flat that isn’t affected by heat or smoke you shouldn’t try to evacuate. If everyone tries to evacuate it can prevent the fire service from reaching the fire.

Alert everyone

Make sure everyone in your home knows about the fire. If there’s a lot of smoke, crawl along the floor where the air will
be clearer. Try to remain calm.

Get everyone out

Don’t delay for valuables or to investigate the fire. Before you open doors, check them with the back of your hand. If they feel warm don’t open them, as the fire is on the other side. Don’t go back in for anything Leave any personal items behind and don’t try to re-enter your home once you’re out.

 

Call the fire service

Call 999 and ask for the fire service. Give the address and wait for the telephone operator to end the call before you
hang up.

Exit through a window if you need to (and it’s safe)

If you’re on the ground or first floor, get out using the window. Throw bedding or cushions onto the ground to break your fall. If you can’t open the window, use a heavy object to break the glass at the bottom corner. Make the jagged edges safe with a towel or blanket.

Don’t jump out

Lower yourself down using your arms from the window ledge before dropping. When helping children to escape, lower them as far as possible before letting them drop. Get an adult below to break their fall if you can. 

If you can’t get out, take refuge. Get everyone into one room, call the fire service by dialing 999 and tell them your exact location.

Essex County Fire and Rescue Service have produced an online home fire safety check.

This is a tool you can use to help spot fire risks around your home. A home safety visit with the fire service can be booked if risks are identified. You can access this tool by visiting https://www.safelincs.co.uk/hfsc 

Please contact us if you would like a copy of this document in large print, audio format, or in another language.

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