Create a Fire Escape Plan

Every home should have a fire escape plan. We hope you’ll never have to use it, but being prepared will ensure you and those who live with you can quickly put a plan in to action if needed.

If you are worried about putting a plan together yourself, you can always speak to your local fire and rescue service who will be able to help for free, but if you would like to create your own then you can incorporate these tips in to your plan.

If you would like to create your own plan it’s best to plan with everyone you live with, including your children, to ensure that you all understand the it.

Make sure you have, if possible, two escape routes and that they are clear from any blockages (not blocked with boxes or bicycles or chained/padlocked). If the windows have locks makes sure that the keys are easily accessible.

You need to make sure that you have a room that you can all go to should the worse happen and you can’t get out in the event of a fire. If possible, the room should have a phone and if they are old enough, your children should know your address and how to call the emergency services.

If you are in a room and you haven’t been able to call 999, open a window and draw attention to yourselves. If you need to break the window, use a heavy object and strike the glass in the corner.

Only escape from a window if you are in immediate danger.

When in the room, use clothes and bedding to stop smoke coming through the bottom of the door before you start to leave the room. If there are two adults and children, ensure that one adult leaves first to help with lowering the children. Do not jump if possible, throw mattresses and cushions on to the floor to lower yourself on to.

We hope that you never find yourself in a situation where you will need a fire escape plan, but if you do, we hope that these tips will help. For further fire safety advice please visit the Fire Service website.

Read our article on fire safety in the home for top tips on how to prevent a fire happening in the first place.

Fire Safety in the Home

There were 39,600 house fires in Great Britain between April 2013 and March 2014, which resulted in 9,748 casualties and 258 deaths.  Of those deaths, 85% were accidental*. House fires are all too common and while they aren't 100% preventable, they can be greatly reduced by following a few simple steps.

The most common causes of fires in the home are:

• Failure to maintain electronic appliances
• Failure to service gas appliances annually
• Unattended or careless cooking
• Candles or open flames
• Plug overload
• Smoking indoors
• Electronic circuit overload
• No smoke alarms or alarms not working

To ensure that you are on top of your fire safety you should do the following:

• Put a fire extinguisher and fire blanket in your kitchen (make sure that the extinguisher is for kitchen fires)
• Keep your stove top and oven free of grease – build up can cause fires
• Do not smoke in the house
• Clean wood burning fireplaces after each use
• Turn off any appliances that do not need to be on at night or when you go out/on holiday
• Don’t overload electrical circuits
• Keep combustible items away from appliances 
• Vacuum dust from outside smoke and carbon monoxide detectors
• Tests your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors once a month
• Clean lint from your tumble dryers
• Do not use electrical items with broken wires
• Practice your fire escape plan with everyone in your house and have at least two exits

By following these steps you can help reduce the possibility of fire in the home. Next week we will look at how to create a fire escape plan.

* Department for Communities and Local Government

Show your Heating Some Love

Spring has well and truly sprung, so why not thank your heating for keeping you warm over the last few months and give it a service ready for next winter? While it's important to ensure that any major work is completed by a professional, there are a few things you'll be able to do yourself.

Bleed your radiators

You should bleed your radiators once a year or when they feel hot at the bottom and cold at the top. If you don't do this then your radiators won't heat up properly and you'll waste money and energy. Before you bleed your radiators make sure you turn off your boiler and have some rags handy to catch any water that comes out. Using a bleed key, slowly open the valve at the top of the radiator.

You'll start to hear a hissing sound as air escapes - keep the valve open until the air has stopped completely. If you have a combi boiler make sure you adjust the pressure after you've bled your radiator, otherwise the boiler will not run correctly. If you've bled your radiator and it's still not performing correctly call your local plumber.

Insulate pipes

It's really important that you insulate your pipes and water tank, it's inexpensive and will save you money and energy. You can buy foam insulation from any hardware store; simply slip it around your pipes and secure it with gaffer tape. For your boiler you'll need a hot-water tank jacket.

If a year has passed and you haven't had your annual gas check and boiler service, make sure that you get one arranged ASAP, or if you are an tenant, speak to your landlord. By doing these three simple things you will save money, save energy and be ready for next winter.

Image

Happy Easter - Open all Weekend

We hope that you'll have a great Easter weekend with friends and family, but if you find that you have any problems with your boiler, heating, gas, plumbing or electrics, be rest assured that we will be here for you - even on Good Friday and Bank Holiday Monday. If you have an emergency call us on 020 8682 2244.