Fire safety
Fires are often caused by accidents. By checking all the safeguards are in place at home, you'll stand a better chance of getting out in one piece.
What to do...
- Make sure your fire exits are clear: don't be tempted to clutter up your stairs and hallway with junk, as this could cost you in the end. Not only is it dangerous to your safety, if the fire report shows the fire only spread because you had wedged open a fire door, you could be made liable for expenses because the insurance won't pay out.
- Check your house is up to the right standards: if you are renting you can reasonably expect the house to contain fire doors and smoke alarms. If you share your house or flat with others but you do not all live together like a single family, your home is likely to be what is called a 'house (or flat) in multiple occupation' or 'HMO'. Because of the additional demands and risks which sharing accommodation can give rise to, HMO's are subject to a number of additional controls.
- Shared houses: All houses in multiple occupation are subject to a set of regulations to ensure the repair, maintenance, cleanliness and good order of all means of escape from fire and other fire precautions. If your house is not properly managed, the council can prosecute. As well as taking landlords to court, local authorities can order them to bring their houses up to the standard of management required by the regulations.
- Escape: Typically, in a small, two storey share-house, all that may be required is to isolate the staircase (the 'means of escape') by separating it from the habitable rooms, including kitchens, where a fire is most likely to start. This is done by fitting fire doors to the relevant rooms which both resist flame and stop smoke from blocking the main way out. Fitting fire detectors in the kitchen(s) and stairwell is a sensible step too. If your house has a detector, you should test it from time-to-time to ensure it works.
If your house looks as though it should have better fire safety than it does, the sooner that is brought to the attention of the local council, the sooner they can do something about it, either by improving things or to put your mind at rest.
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