Safety in your home

There is a serious risk posed by faulty appliances in the home and we are committed to minimising this risk.

Some of these faults are often detected in a specific product and may result in a national recall – this is when the brand takes back all models of a product across the country.

It’s often easy to miss official notifications of product recalls and to carry on using these appliances unaware of the potentially life-threatening risks. If you need to check if your appliance is safe, please visit the Electrical Safety First Product Recall page.

It is also important to register all your electrical appliances when you purchase them. This makes it easier for manufacturers to contact you if they need to issue a product recall.

The danger of faulty tumble dryers, fridges and washing machines remains very significant and we encourage you to stay alert to any potential faults and to respond to product recalls.

To find out more about electrical safety in your home, check out the Electrical Safety First website.

• Ensure that you have a working smoke alarm installed and if it keeps bleeping then you must change the battery;
• Do not overload electrical sockets;
• Put cigarettes out properly, use an ashtray and refrain from smoking in bed;
• Keep matches out of reach from children;
• Do not use candles near anything that may catch fire, such as curtains, and put them out properly;
• When cooking food, never leave it alone or overfill chips pans and do not throw water on a chip pan fire;
• Plan an emergency exit route with your family so everyone knows where to leave in case of a fire;
• Close all doors at night so any potential fire is contained.

• Take your family to where it’s easy to escape in case there’s a fire;
• Check all rooms for signs of smoke;
• Check the area around each door before opening it and if there’s any sign of heat, smoke or noise, do not open the door.

• Do not try to put out a yourself as smoke and fumes can kill in minutes;
• Get each member of your household out of the home and call the fire service on 999, unless you live in a scheme where there is a ‘stay put’ procedure;
• Do not go back into your home for any reason.

• A heater or clothes drier is too near it;
• Someone smokes a cigarette or pipe near it;
• A spray is used nearby;
• There’s too much steam or fumes from cooking;
• There are strong draughts from nearby doors and windows;
• Insects may have flown too close to the alarm;
• The back-up battery (if any) is low.

If you can’t find out why the alarm has gone off, contact our Rosebery Repairs team. Never disconnect the alarm as this will put you and your family at risk.

• If it has a HUSH button, press the button. The alarm will stop for 10 seconds but it then beeps every 40 seconds. If the problem doesn’t clear after 10 minutes, the alarm will keep going;
• If there is no HUSH button, turn off the electricity supply at the consumer unit for at least 15 minutes. Then switch the electricity back on.

• Press and hold the test button for a few seconds. The alarm should sound;
• If the alarm doesn’t sound, try cleaning it and test again;
• If the alarm still doesn’t sound, contact our Rosebery Repairs team.

Use the nozzle of your vacuum cleaner to get rid of any dust from the vents.

Communal areas are hallways, entrances and stairs that are shared by more than one property. They are escape routes and must always be kept clear.

• You must not keep any personal belongings in the communal areas as these can cause serious fire hazards;
• Examples include rubbish bags, plants and larger objects such as bikes, pushchairs and mobility scooters.

• Items stored there can give off toxic smoke if they catch fire;
• Glass can explode if subjected to intense heat;
• Stored items may prevent you, your family or others in the building from escaping a fire;
• Stored items may stop fire and emergency services from entering the building.

• You can arrange for your local authority to make a special collection to pick up these items. They will do this for a cost. Visit their website for details of fees;
• You can also take the items yourself to a rubbish and recycling facility. Again, your local authority will have details of where these are located.

• If we see any items left in communal areas, we’ll leave a calling card stating we have found these items and you (or the person responsible) will have seven days from the date on the card to remove them. If they are not removed within seven days, we will then collect the item;
• You (or the person responsible) will have a 14 day period to collect these items, after which we’ll dispose of anything that has not been claimed;
• If we incur any costs while storing these items, you (or the person responsible) will have to pay this cost.