Fire Safety in your home

Flats, sheltered housing and accommodation with communal areas

If you live in a flat or sheltered housing scheme with a communal area the fire alarms are tested, serviced and maintained regularly by a competent person and we carry out regular fire risk assessments of the shared areas of all of our properties. The buildings are designed with fire safety in mind and as such, in order to maintain this level of safety you should follow these steps to keep you and your neighbours’ safe;

• Do not wedge open self-closing doors – either in your own property or in the communal area. These doors are designed to stop the spread of smoke and fire
• Do not keep items of furniture or decoration in the communal areas. These areas are required to be ‘sterile’ so that, in the event of smoke and fire, the communal areas are clear for a safe evacuation (if a full evacuation policy is in place for your block).
• Keep all exits in your home and the communal areas clear for ease of access/egress in the event of fire
• Know the quickest and safest way for you to evacuate your home if required. Before you open any internal doors, check the door and handle with your hand. Never open the door if it feels warm, as there may be a fire on the other side
• Test the smoke alarm in your own property weekly
• Switch off and unplug electrical equipment in your own property before you go to bed, unless the appliance is designed to be left on, like a fridge
• Don’t overload electrical sockets and ensure electrical sockets found in communal areas aren’t overloaded
• Check that plugs, leads and electrical equipment in your own property and in communal areas are safe and well maintained. If you notice damaged, hot or scorched plugs or sockets, inform RHA immediately and we’ll arrange for a qualified electrician to visit

Staying safe

For full details on staying safe at home then please get in touch with RHA Health & Safety Business Partner.

We are here to help you.