Fire safety in your home is very important.
Here is some useful information on ways you can keep your property safe.
Fire safety in your home
Smoking, cooking, faulty electrical items and portable heaters are some of the common causes of fires.
There are some simple and easy things you can do to prevent fires from happening. Remove any unnecessary materials, such as old newspapers, cardboard boxes, and so on from your home to reduce the spread of a fire if one started.
Smoke alarms
Check your smoke alarm every week by pressing the test button. Don’t climb to reach it – you can use a sweeping brush, a garden cane or a walking stick.
Do not, under any circumstances, check the alarm using a naked flame.
If you discover a fire, your evacuation procedure will depend on whether you live in a house, bungalow, high rise or low rise.
If you live in a high rise or low rise please refer to the high rise building document on the right hand side of this page which will highlight the ‘stay put’ policy.
If you live in a house or bungalow, raise the alarm by calling 999 and leave by the nearest safe exit.
Electrical
It is important to look after the electrical items in your home.
Make sure all electrical items are used correctly according to the manufacturer’s guidelines and make sure sockets are not overloaded.
Never use portable heaters to dry clothes and do not place them too close to soft furnishings
All cooking appliances should be in good repair. Items such as chip pan fryers and toasters should not be left unattended at any time.
Oxygen
You may need oxygen cylinders for medical purposes. Once you know that you will be using oxygen, you should tell us by calling the Contact Centre on 0121 717 1515 so we can make a record of the type of equipment that you will be using.
We need to be aware of any oxygen cylinders or other equipment you have when we carry out fire risk assessments, as this equipment is extremely explosive.
You must not leave oxygen cylinders (full or empty) outside your flat or home, including on a mobility scooter.
Keep your oxygen equipment in a well-ventilated area away from direct sunlight, sources of heat (radiators, storage heaters and so on) or large quantities of material that will easily burn, such as paper or cardboard.
Air alone, and medical oxygen can build up unnoticed on your clothing, hair and bedding.
As a result, you shouldn’t carry or use portable medical oxygen equipment under your clothing.
You should never smoke or let anyone else smoke near you while you are using your oxygen equipment. You should not use oxygen equipment near open fires, candles, gas fires, cookers and so on.
