Fire safety for low rise homes

Report any faults in your home, as well as faults or damage in communal areas.

To report a fault call 0300 123 6633 or report a fault through the website.

Electrics

• Keep electrics (leads and appliances) away from water.
• Always check that you use the right fuse to prevent overheating.
• Make sure an electrical appliance has a British or European safety mark when you buy it.
• Check appliances against product safety recalls.
• Certain appliances, such as washing machines, should have a single plug to themselves, as they are high powered.
• Try and keep to one plug per socket.
• Keep your eyes peeled for signs of dangerous or loose wiring such as scorch marks, hot plugs and sockets, fuses that blow, circuit-breakers that trip for no obvious reasons, or flickering lights.
• Check and replace any old cables and leads, especially if they are hidden from view.
• Unplugging appliances helps reduce the risk of fire.
• Unplug appliances when you're not using them or when you go to bed.
• An extension lead or adaptor will have a limit to how many amps it can take, so be careful not to overload them.

Portable heaters

• Try to secure heaters up against a wall to stop them falling over.
• Keep them clear from curtains and furniture and never use them for drying clothes.
• Do not use portable gas heaters.

Smoking

• Stub cigarettes out properly and dispose of them carefully. Put them right out.
• Never smoke in bed.
• Use a proper ashtray - never a wastepaper basket.
• Make sure your ashtray can't tip over and is made of a material that won't burn.
• Do not leave a lit cigarette, cigar or pipe lying around - they can easily fall over and start a fire.
• Take extra care if you smoke when you're tired, taking prescription drugs, or if you've been drinking. You might fall asleep and set your bed or sofa on fire.
• Keep matches and lighters out of children's reach.
• Consider buying child resistant lighters and match boxes.

Candles

• Put candles out when you leave the room, and make sure they're put out completely at night.
• Use a snuffer or a spoon to put out candles. It's safer than blowing them out when sparks can fly.
• Children shouldn't be left alone with lit candles.
• Make sure any tea lights are kept in a suitable holder.
• Make sure candles are secured in a proper holder and away from materials that may catch fire - like curtains.

Keep communal doors closed

• Do not prop open any doors in the corridors.
• These are designed to stop fire spreading along the corridor.

Keep corridors, stairs and landings clear

• Do not keep furniture, motorbikes or bicycles, toys or any other large item in these areas. These could cause an obstruction or trip somebody up.

Keep your mobility scooters, e-scooters and e-bikes inside your home

• If you have a battery powered mobility device, do not keep or charge it in communal area. They can cause an obstruction and block escape routes. This can increase the likelihood of a fire.
• When stored in your home do not keep them in a place where they can hinder your escape route. 
• These devices are powered by batteries that are highly combustible. You should always make sure that they are charged in a clear space and only during the day in your home.

Keep your wheelchair in your home

• If you have a wheelchair, keep it in your home.
• Do not keep it in communal corridors. They can cause an obstruction and block escape routes.

Do not smoke in communal areas

You can smoke in your flat, or on any balcony that is used by you or your family.

You cannot smoke in any shared part of the building.

This includes:

• corridors
• stairs
• landings
• balconies
• common rooms
• laundries
• shared kitchens or toilets

It is against the law to smoke in these areas.

Dispose of your rubbish properly

• Do not leave rubbish or unwanted furniture in corridors. This is a fire hazard and could cause an obstruction or injury to someone else.
• Do not throw anything, including waste, from a balcony or window.
• Do not use the refuse chutes for anything other than general household waste. These chutes are designed for carrier bags or small bin liners, not large refuse sacks. Please do not try to force a large refuse bag full of waste into a chute as it will block the chute.
• Do not remove the waste chute cover.
• Do not leave the door to the waste chute room open (as these are designed to help prevent the spread of fire).

Keep the building secure

• Please try and keep the building secure.
• Always close the entrance door behind you, and never prop it open.
• Anybody who has official business in the building will have their own key or will carry identification with them.
• Always ask to see identification if somebody asks you to let them into the building.

Park considerately

• Please park considerately outside your home, in marked parking areas if possible.
• Do not park in any hatched area, or directly outside any access or fire exit door.
• Make sure that you leave enough space for ambulances and fire engines to get to flats and turn around.

Smoke alarms

• It is extremely important that you have a working smoke alarm in your home.
• Do not tamper with the smoke detectors in your home. They are there to give you an early warning in the event of a fire and could save your life.

For further advice on fire safety visit Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service. 

We have a nominated responsible person for fire safety:

• Mr P Mains
• Managing Director
• Town Hall and Civic Offices, Westoe Road, South Shields, NE33 2R

Make sure that you do what you can to prevent a fire from starting in your home. For more information see know what to do if there's a fire and preventing a fire.