Fire Safety In Our Building: Help Keep Everyone Safe

Recently, we have received several reports of fires occurring in our communal areas. It is crucial that you contact our teams if you believe any activity in the communal space of your residence could potentially ignite a fire. We would like to remind everyone of some important fire safety rules that help protect all tenants and ensure our buildings remains a safe place to live.

Why Fire Safety Matters

A fire can spread quickly, especially in enclosed spaces like hallways and stairwells. Even small items left in communal areas such as cardboard boxes, prams, furniture, or rubbish can become serious fire hazards. These materials may ignite easily or block escape routes during an emergency, putting lives at risk.

What You Can Do

To help maintain a safe environment for everyone, please follow these simple but vital guidelines:

·       Keep communal areas clear – Do not leave personal items, bins, furniture, bikes, or boxes in hallways, stairwells, or landings. Such items can pose a trip hazard for anyone needing to leave the building in an emergency. They may obstruct fire fighters in their efforts to rescue individuals if necessary and impede firefighting operations.  

·       Dispose of rubbish properly – Use the designated bins and ensure rubbish is not left outside your flat or in shared spaces. Do not put large items in bin chutes that may obstruct the passage.

·       Do not block fire exits – Fire doors and escape routes must always be fully accessible.

·       Report hazards immediately – If you notice anything that could pose a fire risk, please notify our estate teams by calling us on 0800 012 1311.

What we are doing

We regularly inspect communal areas for compliance with fire safety regulations and remove any items that may pose a risk. These measures are not only for your safety but are also required by law under fire safety regulations for residential buildings.

By keeping shared spaces clear and following fire safety guidelines, you are helping protect your neighbours, your home, and yourself. We appreciate your cooperation and commitment to making our building a safe and secure place for everyone.

If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact our fire safety team at staysafe@peaksplain.org

Stay safe!

It is important that we keep you safe.

We want to raise awareness of the importance of taking care of your gas and electrical appliances. It is a legal requirement that we access your property and carry out a Landlord safety check which includes maintenance and efficiency checks of gas and electrical systems owned by Peaks & Plains Housing Trust and a visual inspection only on a customer-owned appliances. So it is important you allow access on the first appointment or contact us to rearrange access. To keep you safe our engineers and contractors carry out more than 3000 safety checks per year.

Please note – Tenants are responsible for safety checks on gas and electrical appliances that have not been provided by us. These items must be checked by a suitably qualified engineer.

Gas Safety tips

·       Badly fitted and poorly serviced gas appliances can cause gas leaks, fires, explosions, and carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning.

·       Check for warning signs that could indicate your gas appliances are not working correctly. Signs may include lazy yellow /orange flames instead of crisp blue ones, error messages or unexpected noises from your boiler or dark and sooty stains around your gas appliance. Contact us to check it.

·       Know the six main symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning – headaches, dizziness, breathlessness, nausea, collapse, and loss of consciousness.

·       Make sure an audible carbon monoxide alarm is fitted.

·       Get your own gas appliances checked annually. Many of our properties have gas central heating, and we are required to undertake an annual safety check by law. Legally you must allow us access to do this every year. We recommend you get a qualified Gas Safe registered engineer to carry out regular gas safety checks on customer-owned appliances.

·       Never attempt to work on a gas appliance yourself. If you wish to get a gas appliance fitted, please seek permission from your landlord before work starts. Always seek the help and advice of a qualified Gas Safe registered engineer who can work on your gas appliance in a safe way. To find a Gas Safe engineer, visit : Gas Safe Register - The Official List of Gas Safe Registered Businesses

·       Don’t block or cover air vents and flues - they are essential for safely working gas appliances.

·       If you are having building work done, always ensure your contractor is qualified.

·       Check where your gas pipes are located - make sure you don’t accidentally hit them during DIY work.

·       Never remove or relocate CO alarms without asking permission from the organisation.

Electrical Safety tips

·       Make sure your plug sockets are not overloaded.

·       Ensure plugs and sockets are not damaged.

·       Check visible cables and leads are in good condition.

·       Check that you are not storing combustible materials around your fuse box, electricity meter, or electrical intake.

·       Avoid using metals or equipment that is not safe for microwave use in microwaves.

·       Never take mains-powered electrical items into the bathroom.

·       Always switch off your electrical items when they are not in use.

·       Keep all electrical appliances clean, follow the operating instructions and keep them in good working order.

·       Only use washing machines, tumble dryers and dishwashers when you are at home and not asleep.

·       Avoid charging lithium battery items, including mobile phones, laptops, e-scooters, and e-bikes overnight. Recently, the number of fires caused by lithium batteries has rapidly increased. Over 70% of these incidents in the last three years involved a charger.

By taking care of your gas and electric appliances properly you are taking care of your home, your loved ones and even looking out for your local community.