Our priority is that our customers feel safe and comfortable in their homes, so we have a fire safety maintenance programme. This involves carrying out fire risk assessments on a regular basis in all our eligible buildings.
Here you will find answers to some frequently asked questions about fire risk assessments.
What is a fire risk assessment?
All of our buildings are regularly subject to fire risk assessments (FRAs) by a nationally accredited fire safety professional. These risk assessments look at:
- How likely a fire is to start
- What the consequences would be if a fire did start
- What needs to be done in the building to minimise the risk of a fire starting or spreading
The most common type of fire risk assessment covers the communal areas of a building, such as stairwells, landings and entrance halls that form your means of escape, as well as the fire precautions in place to protect people in the building. Precautions are designed to:
- Reduce the risk of a fire starting, such as no smoking in communal areas of the building and regular checks of electrical fixtures and fittings
- Reduce the risk of a fire spreading, such as fitting fire doors
- Alert people to a fire in the building, such as providing fire and smoke alarms in your home and elsewhere as appropriate
- Make sure people can escape from the building easily
- Let residents know what to do if a fire starts
Should I stay put in my flat if there is a fire?
The stay put policy is often in place in taller buildings. It states that residents that are not in an area directly impacted by the fire should stay inside their flats with doors and windows shut. When a fire occurs in your flat or a shared area near your flat, you are advised to leave the property and call the fire brigade. This is a national, evidence-based policy in the event of residential fires.
Those who are not directly affected by the fire should remain in their flat until told otherwise by the fire brigade. The main reason for this is so fire fighters can access the building quickly and safely to put out the fire.
However, it is important to use your judgement and you are not required to remain in your flat if you or your household feel unsafe.
When we review our buildings' fire safety measures, we also review the stay put policy based on the findings of the inspection and install appropriate fire detection and alert systems if required.
If you discover a fire, please follow the fire safety guidance displayed in your building.