Home safety check Advice to households

Transcription

1 Home safety check Advice to households

2 Home Safety Check DATE OF HOME SAFETY CHECK This Home Safety Check is intended to provide basic safety awareness for the owner/ occupier and is based on a visual assessment of the dwelling during the visit. The Home Safety Check will be carried out and where appropriate will include the fitting of at least one working smoke alarm per floor level, relevant advice on how to prevent fires and appropriate advice on what actions to take in the event of a fire. We are not able to offer accurate advice in relation to those areas of the dwelling we are not able to access. Once we have completed the Home Safety Check, changes may occur of which we may be unaware and such changes may alter the risk substantially. We appreciate that there are occasions when there may be a conflict between safety and security issues. Smoke alarms and any other equipment provided are given as a gift and it is the responsibility of the owner/occupier to use and maintain them in accordance with the manufacturer s instructions which will be provided during the visit. Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service accepts no responsibility for making good or redecoration as a result of any work undertaken. A Home Safety Check is intended to provide basic safety awareness for the owner/occupier and is based on a visual assessment of the dwelling during the visit. It is not intended to satisfy the requirements of the Regulatory Reform Order, neither do we supply a certificate of compliance. The Home Safety Check is undertaken on a good will basis and as such any advice given is not mandatory. If you have any queries relating to Home Safety Checks or smoke alarms please call us on freephone As a result of your Home Safety Check please pay attention to the following ticked section(s)... Smoke alarm maintenance page 4 Kitchen safety page 6 Candle safety page 7 Electrical safety page 8 Heating and open fires page 10 Carbon monoxide poisoning page 11 Safe storage and use of fuel page 11 Wheelie bin safety page 12 Smoking page 13 Alcohol and other substances page 13 Fire action plan page 14 Bedtime routine page 15 What to do if you are cut off by fire and cannot escape page 16 Escaping from a window page 17 How to reduce the risk of an arson attack on your home page 18 Advice for home oxygen users page 19 Young children page 20 FireSmart page

3 Smoke alarm maintenance Your smoke alarms are a vital protection from the danger of fire in your home. They provide an early warning of danger, giving your family precious time to get out of your home quickly. A simple maintenance plan will ensure that your smoke alarm continues to protect your family. Make sure all your alarms are fitted according to the manufacturers instructions: One-year battery alarms (Optical and Ionisation) Test the alarm each week. Vacuum the alarm every three months using the soft brush attachment. Change the battery annually, even if it is not emitting a low power warning. Always use a high quality battery. Ionisation/Optical Alarms with 10 year life lithium battery Test the alarm each week. Vacuum the alarm every three months using the soft brush attachment. Replace the unit at the end of lifespan. Mains powered units with battery back-ups EVERY WEEK EVERY 3 MONTHS EVERY 10 YEARS The installation of this type of system should only be carried out by qualified and competent electricians. Test the system every week. Keep the unit clean and dust free. Vacuum the alarm every three months using the soft brush attachment in accordance with the manufacturers instructions. Replace the backup battery according to the manufacturers recommendation. Smoke alarms should be fitted at least 30cm (12 ) away from any wall or light fitting and close to the centre of the room. Care should be taken to fit them where you can hear them, particularly when you are asleep. 4 5

4 Kitchen safety Keep the oven, toaster, microwave, hob and grill clean. A build up of crumbs, fat and grease could easily catch fire. Keep electrical leads, tea towels, clothing, paper, curtains etc away from cookers, grills and toasters. Do not allow your clothing to come into contact with a naked flame, or heat source. People have been badly injured by loose clothing such as saris and nightgowns catching fire. Do not use oxygen whilst cooking or near a naked flame. People have been badly injured by not following this advice. Never leave any cooking unattended - fire starts when your attention stops. Never fill a pan more than one third full of fat or oil. Don t use chip pans. As an alternative use oven chips - they are much safer to cook and better for you as well. Candle safety Always keep a burning candle within sight and extinguish them before you leave the room. Keep candles away from anything that could catch fire easily such as curtains. Make sure that you use the correct candle holders for your candles to ensure that they don t fall or get knocked over. Never burn candles within reach of children or pets. Do not blow out candles, snub them out. Never put tea lights on plastic surfaces like TV tops and baths. Do not allow your clothing to come into contact with a naked flame, or heat source. People have been badly injured by loose clothing such as saris and nightgowns catching fire. If you have had a drink, consider not cooking at all - eat out or order a takeaway. 6 7

5 Electrical safety Turn off and unplug electrical appliances when they are not being used, unless they are designed to be left on. TVs and other appliances should not be left on stand-by. Watch out for hot or scorched plugs and sockets, fuses that blow for no reason or flickering lights. Check electrical leads and plugs for wear and tear or faulty wiring. Frayed or exposed wires are a fire risk. Keep electrical leads, plugs and appliances away from water. Cable reels should be fully unwound before use. Electrical blankets must be checked regularly as per manufacturers guidelines. Look out for worn fabric, scorch marks, exposed elements and damp patches. Store in a dry place and avoid creasing. If in doubt, do not use. Do not overload sockets, use one plug per socket and do not plug adaptors into adaptors. To prevent overheating use the right fuse. Typical fuse rating are shown below. Never run cables under carpets or rugs. Do not use washing machines, tumble dryers or dishwashers when sleeping or away from your home. For more information about electrical safety including product recalls, please visit our Fire Safety at Home page at 8 9

6 Heating and open fires Always use a fire guard when using heaters or fires, especially if you have young children in the property. Preferably the fire guard should be in a fixed position. Chimneys and flues for open fires and stoves need to be clean and well maintained. make sure your chimney is swept regularly. Make sure that fires are out or switched off before going to bed or leaving the property. Portable heaters should be checked for leaks and refilled outside in the open air. Always place heaters in a position where they cannot be easily knocked over. If possible they should be secured to a wall. Carbon monoxide poisoning Carbon monoxide (CO) gas can kill. Heating and cooking appliances fuelled by coal, smokeless fuels, wood, oil and gas can cause CO poisoning if they are poorly installed, incorrectly used or if they are not properly and regularly maintained. If you are living in a rented property it is your landlord s responsibility to have your boiler checked annually by a Gas Safe Registered Fitter, and a certificate of this check should be made available. Early symptoms of CO poisoning include tiredness, drowsiness, dizziness, chest pains, nausea and flu like symptoms. If you experience these symptoms go to fresh air immediately, turn off heating and cooking appliances and seek medical attention. The National Gas Emergency Hotline can be contacted on Safe storage and use of fuel Do not allow your clothing to come into contact with a naked flame, or heat source. People have been badly injured by loose clothing such as saris and nightgowns catching fire. Do not use oxygen whilst you are near a naked flame. People have been badly injured by not following this advice. Take care when refuelling petrol powered appliances. Ensure naked flames are extinguished first. Turn off the engine and refuel the appliance outside to allow dispersal of fumes. Leaks, spills and vapour can ignite easily. Clean them up straight away and make sure filler caps are secure after refuelling. Do not sit too close to fires or heaters, your clothing or hair could catch fire. Don t place heaters near curtains or furnishings and never use them for drying clothes

7 Wheelie bin safety Wheelie bin fires are a danger to you - they can spread, endangering people and property. Wheelie bin fires are a danger to the environment - toxic fumes and smoke from fires pollute the environment. Keep the bin out of sight of opportunists who may target your bin. Only put the bin out when it is due for collection. Do not overfill your wheelie bin, or leave loose rubbish around it. Do not store bins under covered areas attached to the house e.g. porches. Store your bin away from the property (minimum 1m), away from windows and doors and, if possible, safely secured. Smoking Always use proper ashtrays and keep smoking materials away from children. Ensure that smoking materials are properly extinguished. Ensure that contents of ashtrays are cold and emptied into a suitable bin, such as a metal one. Take extra care if you smoke when you are drowsy, taking prescription medication or have been drinking. Don t light up if you need to lie down. Despite the risks of falling asleep and setting the bed on fire, people still continue to smoke in bed. Alcohol and other substances Drinking alcohol or taking drugs or medication that may have a sedative effect can reduce your ability to respond to an emergency situation. Fires can be caused by people falling asleep whilst cooking, smoking or burning candles

8 Fire action plan We know some people will tackle small fires themselves. Please put safety first if there s any danger of the fire growing, get out, stay out and call the fire service out. If you do attempt to put it out, make sure you have an escape route so you can always turn your back on the fire and leave if it develops. It s really important to use the right equipment to extinguish it with, for example a fire extinguisher or a fire blanket. NEVER use water on an electrical fire or pan of oil. Make an escape plan - take everyone into account; the elderly, disabled and children. Choose the best escape route - your normal way in and out of your home. Choose a second escape route, if the first one is blocked. Make sure everyone knows where to find door and window keys. Decide upon a room in which to wait, until the Fire Service arrives. If escape routes are blocked - see What to do if you are cut off by fire and can t escape on page 16. Bedtime routine Half of all fire deaths in the home take place between 10pm and 8am. Check your home before you go to bed. Check that your escape routes are clear of obstacles and that keys are where they are meant to be. Check that cookers, washing machines, dishwashers, tumble dryers, heaters and fires are turned off. Cover open fires with fireguards. Put out candles and cigarettes properly. Turn off and unplug all electrical appliances unless they are designed to be left on e.g. freezer, video recorder. TVs and other appliances should not be left on stand-by. Close all internal doors, especially downstairs. If you have a mobile phone, take it to bed with you in case of emergencies. Keep escape routes clear at all times

9 What to do if you are cut off by fire and cannot escape Call 999 ask for the Fire Service. Get everyone into one room, with a window that opens (preferably an escape window which will allow you to get out) and shut the door. Put bedding or clothing around the bottom of the door to block out smoke. Open the window and call for help, wait there breathing fresh air until the Fire Service arrives. They should reach you in minutes. If the room fills with smoke stay low to the floor where it is easier to breathe. Escaping from a window If you are on the ground floor, you may be able to escape through a window. If you are higher up, only consider this if you are no more than one floor up and in immediate danger. If you need to break a window, use a heavy object to break the glass in the bottom corner. Then knock out the glass. Cover any jagged edges with towels or blankets and drop cushions or bedding to the ground to break your fall (not a mattress, this may get caught in the window opening blocking your escape). Sit on the window sill, and then lower yourself to full arms length before dropping

10 How to reduce the risk of an arson attack on your home Ensure you have a means of calling the emergency services readily available in your bedroom (safe room/sanctuary room) in case there is a fire and it is not safe to escape. Keep all internal doors closed, especially when sleeping, as this will significantly reduce the spread of fire and smoke. Keep all external doors and windows (including sheds and garages) locked to prevent easy access. Keep bins, rubbish, cars, and any material which could be set on fire well away from the outside of your home and where possible out of sight, especially in areas where there is easy access to your property. Consider sealing off or protecting your letter box with flame retardant material to prevent a fire being easily started through it. Advice for home oxygen users Keep oxygen equipment well away from open fires and naked flames. Store oxygen safely in a well ventilated area that is dry and away from all heat sources, and make sure you understand how to use it. If you smoke when not using oxygen equipment, wait 20 minutes and ensure that smoking materials are fully extinguished before starting to re-use oxygen equipment. Never smoke, or let someone else smoke in the same room as you, when oxygen equipment is being used. Never smoke in bed. Never use electrical appliances such as electric razors and hairdryers whilst using oxygen. Make sure everyone in your home knows exactly what to do in the event of a fire. In the event of an emergency, phone 999. If you have any concerns about arson or any other threats of violence contact Greater Manchester Police on 101. If you have any concerns about fire safety issues contact Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service on If you would like to talk to someone about an attack/threat of attack contact Victim Support on Air Liquide HomeCare North can be contacted on

11 Young children Always keep matches and lighters away from children. Young children should know that if they accidentally start a fire or discover one, they should immediately tell an adult, and not go and try to hide away from danger. Keep children away from open fires and cooking areas. This includes the kitchen and BBQs. Make sure your children know what to do in the event of a fire. Spend some time talking through your fire escape plan and what they should do if they become trapped by fire. FireSmart Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) have developed FireSmart to offer free education and advice to anyone aged 17 years and under who may be exhibiting signs of firesetting behaviour. Children can often be fascinated by the way fire looks, by fireworks or even blowing out candles on a cake which is a natural curiosity. But for some young people, this interest in fire can develop into something dangerous. Signs to look out for Small burn holes in carpets, or scorch marks on furniture, bedding or toys. Charred paper left in sinks or waste bins. Matches or lighters hidden in the child s bedroom, clothing or school bag. An unusual fascination with fire. Fires in and around the home that cannot be explained. If you re concerned about a young person who is showing signs of fire setting behaviour, please call Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service on

12 Contact us If you require further advice or your circumstances change, or if someone you know would like a free Home Safety Check please let us know... You can telephone our Contact Centre free of charge on Alternatively, you can write to us at Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service Headquarters 146 Bolton Road Swinton Manchester M27 8US or you can visit our website at Remember, in case of emergency always dial

13 More information and support Safety advice for the elderly Age UK Free, impartial advice on disability and mobility products Disabled Living Foundation Specialist equipment and advice for deaf and hard of hearing people Action on Hearing Loss org.uk Specialist equipment and advice for blind and partially sighted people RNIB National Association for Mental Health MIND Samaritans Energy Saving Trust For free, independent and local energy saving advice call org.uk National Gas Emergency Hotline Environment Agency Floodline Information about alcohol org.uk Information about drugs Talk to Frank NHS Direct (non emergency) NHS Free Smoking Helpline Greater Manchester Police (non emergency) Crimestoppers For free home safety advice, call us now on freephone Remember, in case of emergency always dial 999 Reference FSC 0002 F