Handbook contents

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Limiting the risk of fire
Please make sure you read, understand and remember these safety guidelines. Our purpose-built flats are designed to be as safe as possible if a fire were to break out but this is no guarantee of total safety. There are automatic door-closers on most of our doors. This is to cut the flow of oxygen from room to room so helps prevent the risk of fire spreading.

What to do if a fire breaks out

• If an uncontrollable fire breaks out and, if it is safe to do so, shut all doors and windows in the room where the fire has started. Leave your home immediately and make sure you let other people in the building know about the fire while you get out
• Phone the fire brigade by dialling 999. Give your address details clearly
• If you are trapped, close all doors between you and the fire, and lie under an open window to avoid suffocation. Try to make sure people outside know where you are so that you can be helped quickly
• If smoke is getting into the room, stuff towels or bedclothes in all the cracks and splash water on doors and walls. Keep everything wet if you can
• Above all, try not to panic

Tips for cutting down fire risk

• Do not use paraffin or oil heaters
• Do not air clothing over or around convector heaters or cookers
• Do not take off the automatic door-closers
• Do not take batteries out of the smoke alarms
• Do not smoke in bed - this is one of the main causes of house fires if you smoke, make sure each cigarette, any ash and all matches are put out as soon as you finish with them
• Keep matches and lighters out of the reach of children

If a chip pan or frying pan catches fire: turn off the heat,

• Cover the pan with a damp cloth or put the lid on
• Do not move the pan.
• Do not try to put out the flames with water: when hot oil and water meet, they explode

Safety with electricity
You can get more detailed advice about electrical safety from your local electricity showroom, but here are some common sense tips:

• Switch off any appliances you are not using and take the plug out of the socket. It is especially important to do this before you go to bed
• Use good quality plugs only. They should have a sticker saying that they meet British standard 1363 or 1363a.
• Make sure plugs are wired correctly, and use the plug with the right number of amps for the appliance it goes with. You can identify wires by the colour of their plastic coating: brown/red live wire - blue/black - neutral - green/yellow earth
• Check each electric flex regularly. If they look damaged, i.e. You can see the wires or the coating has worn, they will need replacing. If they are too long, they make not be safe
• Never run a flex under the carpet as it could be damaged by people walking over it
• You cannot unplug storage heaters, immersion heaters or cookers. If they go wrong, switch them off at their mains control and call us immediately
• Never use water to try to put out fires started by electrical faults. Water conducts electricity so using water could kill you

Accidents in the home
Many serious injuries and deaths in the home are caused by people falling over. The second major cause is accidental poisoning. Here are some suggestions to help cut down the risk of either:

• Do not polish the floor under carpets or rugs
• If you have internal stairs and landings keep them well lit and clear
• If you live in one of our larger homes and have small children, put in childproof barriers at the top of stairs and on upper floor windows
• If any grease or oil is spilt on the floor, wipe it up promptly
• Report any loose stair carpets to us immediately
• Keep all medicines in a locked cabinet out of the reach of children
• Keep all household chemicals, like bleach and disinfectant, out of the reach of children
• Never store household chemicals in soft drink bottles or in any container which might mislead someone else about the contents
• Take any unused medicines back to the chemist or flush them down the toilet