Fire Safety
INFORMATION AND ADVICE FOR RESIDENTS
Fire Procedure Guidance
If you discover a fire:
• If you discover a fire in a communal area or in your home, if safe to do so activate the nearest fire alarm break glass point.
• If it is safe to do so, call the fire service by dialling 999.
• Proceed to the nearest fire exit.
• Do not go back to your home or stop to collect personal belongings.
• Do not attempt to extinguish the fire and do not use the lift.
If the fire alarm sounds, please take the following action:
• Proceed to the nearest available fire exit, do not stop to collect personal belongings.
• If you come across the fire, do not attempt to extinguish it; exit via another route.
• Do not use the lift to exit the building.
• Close doors behind you as you exit the building to help prevent the spread of smoke.
• Go to the assembly point outside the building.
• Contact the fire service by dialling 999.
• Do not re-enter the building for any reason until instructed by someone in authority that it is safe to do so.
Remember to stay calm and follow the emergency procedure.
Fire doors – helping keep you safe
What is a fire door? - Fire doors are specialist doors that have been tested against the elements and purpose-built to withstand fire and smoke for at least 30 minutes.
Why is a fire door important?
Fire doors have a critical role to play in preventing the spread of fire and in saving lives and property.
If a fire broke out, a fire door helps make sure it can be contained in a ‘compartment,’ keeping the fire and smoke trapped for a period of time.
They’re designed to automatically close behind you, so in the event of fire, they hold back flames and stop the spread of the fire and toxic smoke into other flats and into your escape routes. This gives people more time to escape and makes it easier for the fire and rescue service to tackle the fire.
Inspection and maintenance
On average, each fire door costs CCHA £1,500 to fit and much more to maintain over its life, so they’re an important investment in your building.
Like all landlords and building owners, we are legally responsible for the inspection and maintenance of our fire doors.
Where are fire doors installed?
In a block of flats, fire doors are installed based on the building layout. This means you will generally see them on stairwells and corridors, and the front door of each flat is always a fire door.
They’re also used to protect areas where there is a risk of fire, such as bin storage areas or mains electricity service cupboards. They’re sometimes installed within individual homes, but this depends on design and layout.
If you have any concerns about the condition of your flat’s fire door, a fire door within the communal area or fire safety within your building, please let us know straight away by emailing firedoors@castlesandcoasts.co.uk or calling us on 0800 085 1171.
Keeping you and your neighbours safe
It’s important to look after fire doors and to help keep you and your neighbours safe:
• Do not alter your door in any way –this includes drilling into it, painting it or changing any of the door furniture.
• Never leave a fire door wedged or propped open.
• Keep access to fire doors clear and unobstructed.
• Never disconnect a closer – a fire door is no use if it stays open in the event of a fire, and an open door will allow the spread of toxic smoke and flames.
• Don’t remove kitchen or other internal fire doors.
• Don’t make new openings in fire doors for things like cat flaps or letter boxes.
Fire Door Safety Check
To make sure your flat’s entrance door is protected, it’s essential that your door: closes. The door closer should bring the door shut. Hold it half way open, and check the latch engages when you let it go. It should close properly into the door frame and latch into place.
has gaps consistently less than 4mm around the top and side of the door when it’s closed.
The gap under the door can be slightly larger (up to 10mm) but it does depend on the door specification. Ideally you should not see light under the door.
seals. The seals around the door and/or frame should be intact with no sign of damage.
hinges (three or more) are firmly fixed with no missing or broken screws.
is free from surface damage, including any glazing, as this could limit its fire integrity.
allows for occupants to make an easy escape in an emergency situation.
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Fire safety advice
Electrical fire safety
From overloaded extension leads and cheap chargers, through to white goods not fit for the job, issues with electrical items are a common cause of fire. So how can you reduce fire risks and keep yourself and your family safe? Below are just a few electrical safety tips to help keep you safe:
• Christmas lights – always read and follow the manufacturers' instructions and check your lights are not damaged or broken before use. Click here for more festive electrical safety tips.
• Don't overload plug sockets. An extension lead or adaptor will have a limit to how many amps it can take, so to help reduce the risk of fire be careful not to overload them.
• Regularly check for frayed or worn cables/wires and check to see if the cable is fastened securely to the plug. You should always do this before you plug an appliance in and do not use any electrical device that’s damaged.
• Unplug appliances when not in use. Not only will this help reduce your energy use, but it helps to reduce the risk of fire. Unplug appliances when you go to bed or when you go out unless they are designed to be left on, like fridges and freezers.
• Always make sure electrical appliances have a British or European safety mark when you buy them.
• Charging devices - don't leave devices charging for long periods and make sure that you are using the correct chargers. If you are using laptops, don’t put them on soft furnishings, beds or duvets as this increases the chance of them overheating and catching fire.
• Look out for scorch marks, flickering lights, hot plugs and sockets, fuses that blow or circuit-breakers that trip for no obvious reason. These could all be signs of loose or dangerous wiring somewhere in your home.
Get Out, Stay Out, Call 999
Never use water on an electrical fire and don't take any risks with your safety. Pull the plug out or switch the power off, but only if it’s safe to do so. Get out, stay out and call 999.
It’s really important to know the signs of a potential electrical problem. If in doubt, CCHA customers should contact us straight away on 0800 085 1171 so that we can have issues checked by a qualified electrician.
Fire safety tips for smokers
If you or someone in your home smokes, there are some simple steps to help prevent a fire from happening in your home:
• Never smoke in bed - if you need to lie down, don’t light up. You could doze off and set your bed on fire.
• Take extra care when you’re tired, taking any sort of medication/drugs or have been drinking alcohol. It’s very easy to fall asleep while your cigarette is still burning.
• Never leave lit cigarettes, cigars or pipes unattended - they can easily overbalance as they burn down.
• Use a proper, heavy, ashtray that can’t tip over easily and is made of a material that won’t burn.
• Make sure your cigarette is not still burning when you are finished - put it out, right out.
• Do not empty your ashtray into a bin because this can cause the bin to catch fire. A drop of water in the ashtray will help to make it safer while you leave it to cool down fully.
Practical steps for safer cooking
With bubbling pans, open flames and maybe a little one or a pet underfoot, kitchens are potentially dangerous places. Here are some top tips to reduce fire risks:
• Try not to leave cooking unattended on the hob or grill. If you have to leave the kitchen, turn off the heat.
• Not feeling 100%? Order a takeaway – if you're very tired, have been drinking alcohol or are taking medication that might make you drowsy, it's safer not to risk it.
• Be fabric aware. Loose clothing can easily catch fire, so take care not to lean over a hot hob, and always keep tea towels and cloths away from the cooker and hob.
• Try to keep the oven, hob, cooker hood, extractor fan and grill clean – builtup fat and grease can ignite and cause a fire.
• Use spark devices to light gas cookers. They're much safer than matches or lighters, as they don’t have a naked flame, and they're safer around children, too.
• Double check the cooker and hob are turned off when you’ve finished cooking. If you or someone you care for is forgetful, why not take a photo if you have a smartphone? The action will remind you to double check every time.
• Check toasters are clean and not placed under kitchen cabinets or close to anything that can catch fire.
• Never put anything metal in the microwave.
• Always keep an eye on children and pets in the kitchen. Don't leave them unsupervised; put matches and lighters away; and keep saucepan handles out of reach.
Further Information
Your local fire and rescue service has more fire safety tips and advice on all areas within the home. They’re a good place to check that you and your home are as safe as possible.
If you have any concerns about how safe your home is from fire, please contact CCHA straight away on 0800 085 1171.
If you would like this document in large print or another format, please call us on 0800 085 1171.