The health and safety of our customers is a top priority, we work in partnership with Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service and our risk assessor to make sure that we are keeping you and your family safe in the event of a fire. There are many steps we take to ensure your safety:
• We regularly carry out fire risk assessments in your homes and review them often
• We put in place and maintain appropriate fire safety measures tailored to different types of homes
• We plan for emergencies
• We educate our colleagues in fire safety, which includes learning about spotting fire risks and how to report them
• We have a full-time fire compliance manager to manage our risks and make sure that we are fully compliant and keeping you safe
Here are some simple steps you can take to prevent a fire from happening and how to keep you and your loved ones safe.
Make sure you have a smoke alarm and make sure it works. Fitting a smoke alarm on each level of your home is the single thing you can do to improve your safety.
But fitting one is not the only thing you need to do, you should check that it works by testing it each week. you should change the batteries every year, even a mains powered alarm will have back up batteries that should be changed.
More than half of accidental fires in the home start when people are cooking.
Clean appliances regularly as a build-up of fat, grease or crumbs can easily catch fire. And don't put anything metallic, such as cutlery or cans inside the microwave.
When you are cooking be mindful of things around you that could easily catch fire such as tea towels, kitchen roll, and loose clothing. And never leave children alone in the kitchen when the hob or oven is on.
Take extra care when cooking with hot oil, never fill a pan more than one-third full of oil. If the oil starts to smoke, it's too hot, so turn off the heat and leave it to cool down.
If a pan catches fire, don't move it and never throw water or use a water fire extinguisher on a hot fat fire. If it's safe to do so - turn off the heat then leave the kitchen, close the door behind you, tell everyone else in the home to get out and call 999.
Broken electrics cause about 7,000 fires a year. Electrical appliances, plugs and cables that are old, damaged or poorly wired can be a real danger. If you think something needs fixing or changing, do it straight away. Your electrical appliances should all have the CE safety mark.
Turn off electrical appliances when they are not being used and service them regularly. Don't overload plug sockets - try to keep to one plug per socket to avoid them overheating.
If you need to replace a fuse because it has blown, always check why the fuse has blown and correct the fault in the appliance and then replace the fuse with a new fuse.
Be careful not to get electrical appliances wet and don’t leave them on at night - unless they are designed to be left on, like freezers.
Tumble dryers can be a useful addition to your home. But, if fluff builds up you increase the risk of it catching fire from the heat created by the dryer. So, remove fluff after every load and vacuum the areas around the dryer regularly. Don’t cover the vent or any other opening and don’t use tumble dryers while sleeping or away from home.
Don’t sit too close to fires or heaters as your clothing or hair could catch fire. Heaters should be kept at least three feet away from curtains and furniture and should never be used to dry clothes.
If you have children or pets use a fireguard to keep them safely away from the heat. And always turn a fire or heater off when you go to bed or go out.
Candles, decorative lights and decorations may make your home look pretty, but they are a growing cause of fire. Make sure candles are secured in a stable holder and keep them away from children, curtains, fabrics and paper. And always put candles out when you are leaving the room or going to bed
More people die in fires caused by smoking than in fires caused by anything else. Always stub cigarettes out properly and dispose of them carefully. And never smoke in bed. If you use a e-cigarette only ever use the manufactures charger and never leave it charging overnight.
Its a good idea to have a bedtime routine. It takes longer to become aware of a fire when you are asleep so check for any fire hazards in your home before you go to bed. Turn off electrical items and shut all your internal doors. Make sure cigarettes and candles are fully put out, and don’t smoke in bed.
If you had a fire in your home tonight, would you know what to do? Be prepared - have an escape plan and make sure everyone in your homes knows what to do - one day it could just save your life!
Your normal way out is your best escape route so keep it clear of clutter so that you can use the route in darkness or smoke?
Walk your escape route with your family or housemates and make sure everyone knows where the window and door keys are kept. Always choose a second escape route, in case the first one is blocked.
If you live in a block of flats and you see items blocking a corridor – ask your neighbourhood to move it, or if you don’t feel comfortable doing this, report it to your landlord who will be able to get it cleared.
If there is a fire in your home – the advice is simple. Get out, stay out and call 999.
When leaving your home, make sure that you close all of the doors behind you, once you are outside call the fire brigade by dialling 999, never assume that someone else has called.
Don't try to tackle the fire yourself, and never go back into a burning building.
If your only escape route is blocked by a fire you should:
• Stay inside the safest room with a window that opens and dial 999 to call the fire and rescue service
• Keep the door closed and use towels or bedding at the bottom of the door to block the smoke coming through
• If you are trapped go to a balcony or window so that you can be seen – but don’t jump
• Wait to be rescued by the fire and rescue service
Fire safety in tower blocks
Living in a block of apartments doesn't mean that you are more at risk of a fire than anyone else. But you do need to consider how a fire in your home could affect other people in your building and how you can stay safe.
Its important that you know what to do in the event of a fire, whether it’s in your apartment or somewhere else in the building.
If there is a fire or smoke in your apartment, get out and stay out. Ensure that you close all of the doors behind you and only use the stairs, once you are outside call the fire and rescue service by dialling 999, never assume that someone else has called. Do not go back into the building until the fire brigade tells you it’s safe to do so.
If there is a fire in another part of the building, it will normally be safest for you to stay in your apartment. But if you feel unsafe, then get out and call 999. If a member of the fire service tells you to leave the building, you should do so immediately.
If you have any queries or concerns about fire safety in your home, please call us on 0300 561 1111 or alternatively you can fill out the form below and we will be in touch.