Keeping your home safe

Given the tragic news of the Grenfell Tower block fire, we want to do all we can to reassure our you that your safety is our number one priority.

We have robust procedures and comprehensive controls in place for fire safety which are reviewed and tested on a regular basis.

How do we improve fire safety?

• We have 100% fire safety risk assessments compliance in all of our properties.
• We conduct a weekly fire alarm test at each property.
• We talk about fire safety twice a year during residents’ coffee mornings at each property.
• All of our employees are trained in fire safety.
• We encourage visits from the fire service to each of our properties.
• In light of the incident at Grenfell Tower, we are now carrying out a full review of fire safety in all of our housing schemes and care homes, which includes all associated policies and procedures across the organisation.

How can you as a resident, help improve your fire safety?

• Make sure you know your escape route in the event of a fire and what to do if it’s inside your home or elsewhere in the building.
• Don’t leave items in communal areas such as hallways and stairwells, or obstruct escape routes.
• Keep your balcony clutter free.
• Don’t smoke in common areas of the property, and always fully extinguish cigarettes smoked in your home; disposing of them carefully and safely.
• If you are a leaseholder make sure you have a working smoke alarm in your home. Test your fire alarm on a weekly basis.
• Leaseholders can also request a free home safety visit from their local Fire and Rescue Service. In some cases, they will also fit a free smoke alarm. Please contact your local service to book this, find details below:

East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service – call 0800 177 7069 or click here to download a home visit request form.

West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service – call 0345 8729 719 or email safeandwell@westsussex.gov.uk. For further information, please click here.

Further advice from East and West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service

This advice is based on a ‘stay put’ policy, which is used in the emergency evacuation procedures we currently operate across all of our sheltered housing schemes:

• If there is a fire inside your flat alert all the people in your flat and leave, closing your doors behind you. You should follow your escape plan and if there is lots of smoke, crawl along the floor where the air should be clearer.
• Always use the stairs rather than the lift and call 999 as soon as you are in a safe place.
• If there is a fire elsewhere in the building, the structure of your flat – walls, floors, doors – are designed to give you a minimum of 30-60 minutes’ protection from a fire. This will enable you to remain in your flat whilst the Fire Service deals with the fire.
• If there is a fire in your building but not inside your own home, then you are usually safer to stay in your flat*. However if the heat or smoke from the fire is affecting you, you can leave via the stairs, if safe to do so. If it’s not safe to leave and you do remain in your flat, you should still immediately call 999 and tell them which flat you are in. The emergency services will then advise you what to do.
• Once a 999 call is made and the firefighters arrive at the scene of the fire, they will take full control and manage the evacuation of the building. Listen and act on their advice.

*If you are already outside of your flat then please use the nearest emergency exit.

Fire safety in our care homes

In our care homes we follow the horizontal evacuation plan. This is where staff evacuate residents behind fire compartments away from the fire.

These are areas separated from each other on the same level by walls and doors that provide at least 30 minutes of fire resistance. If a fire occurs, residents can be moved away from the affected area to the adjoining protected area. The occupants may remain there until the fire is dealt with or await further evacuation to another similar adjoining area or down a protected route to total safety.

If you have any queries about fire safety, please speak to your scheme or care home manager.

All of our properties have to have a gas safety certificates for the appliances in communal areas and for individual gas boilers in each property.

• The equipment tested includes boilers, gas tumble driers, kitchen ranges, grills and fryers.  
• The testing an services is done every year by TSS, our contractor. 
• We check and install carbon monoxide detectors in communal boiler rooms and in properties that have independent boilers.

What to do if you smell gas?

If you smell gas, extinguish any sources of ignition and ventilate the building by opening doors and windows. Do not turn any electrical switches on, don't smoke and don't use your mobile phone. If you are in immediate danger evacuate the building and then call the Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999.

 

 

 

 

We service all of our lifts every month and have an insurance inspection of our lifts every six months.

We have specialised lift contractors who repair our lifts if they require fixing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Every year we carry out portable electrical appliance testing (PAT testing) in all of our schemes and care homes where there are communal areas. In addition, we PAT test all of the electrical equipment in our offices.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Keeping our water safe and reducing the risk of legionella bacteria is a priority for us.

What is Legionnaires' disease?

Legionnaires’ disease is a potentially fatal form of pneumonia, which can affect anyone, but principally those susceptible due to age, illness, immunosuppression or smoking. It is caused by the bacterium Legionella pneumophila. These bacteria can also cause less serious illnesses and the collective term for these is legionellosis.

How do we help prevent legionella?

In outlets that aren't used often the risk of legionella increases because the water is allowed to stagnate and provide the conditions for the growth of the bacteria.

We have employees across the organisation who are responsible for making sure the risk of legionella is controlled and monitored.

Flushing of outlets - Outlets that aren't used often are flushed on a weekly basis to make sure conditions for legionella do not develop.

Contractor - We have a contractor called TSS who is responsible for the removal, cleaning and disinfecting of all showerheads and spray taps, the recording of water temperatures, recording of the condition of cold-water storage tanks and hot water calorifiers, water sampling and testing and servicing of thermostatic mixing valves.

Legionella risk assessment - Each of our schemes have a legionella risk assessment carried out. 

Water sampling - Our contractor TSS, carries out water sampling for legionella.

What are residents’ responsibilities?

In our sheltered housing to rent, leasehold properties and independent living properties residents are responsible for keeping their taps clean and eliminating any build-up of limescale. It is these factors provide ambient conditions for bacteria to breed. Our scheme managers support and remind residents about this.

In our care homes our handy man takes on the above responsibilities.

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