Health and safety in your home

Transcription

1 Health and safety in your home Information and advice from Hanover Staying safe in your Hanover home This booklet provides information on how to make your Hanover home safer and more secure. It contains advice about possible dangers, such as those related to gas, water, electricity and fire, which could lead to an accident or ill health. We hope you will want to keep this quick reference guide in a handy place where you can find it at any time. However, if you do have any serious concerns, you should always get the expert advice of organisations such as the fire service, the police and utility companies. As always, your safety and comfort are of the utmost importance to us. If you need extra information about any of these possible dangers, please speak to a member of your housing and support team. A copy of this booklet will always be available on our website at hanover.org.uk. If you don t have access to the internet, you can contact your housing and support team, who will be able to help. Chris Munday Executive Director of Operations

2 Fire safety in your Hanover home Fire is one of the biggest risks people face in the home and can cause serious damage to lives and property. Smoking, cooking, faulty electrical items and portable heaters are some of the common causes of fires. There are some simple and easy things you can do to prevent fires from happening. Make sure all electrical items are used correctly according to the manufacturer s guidelines and make sure sockets are not overloaded We recommend you ask an electrician to carry out portable appliance testing (PAT) on your electrical items to make sure they are not faulty, as faults can lead to sparks or fires Never use portable heaters to dry clothes and don t place them too close to soft furnishings they should be kept more than one foot (30cm) away. You should use them according to the manufacturer s guidelines All cooking appliances should be in good repair. Never dry clothes or other flammable items in the oven Do not leave any cooking, including using a toaster, unattended Make sure your smoke and heat detector is not covered over The detector will alert you and others that there may be a fire

3 If a fire alarm goes off, make sure you answer the call from Hanover on Call (HOC) promptly so you can tell them about the situation, whether it s a fire or a false alarm The door to your home is a fire door which will prevent a fire in the corridor from entering your home for 30 minutes. Making sure your door is closed when you are not using it will protect you and your home from smoke and fire and from unwanted intruders. Do not wedge fire doors open Remove any unnecessary materials, such as old newspapers, cardboard boxes, and so on from your home to reduce the spread of a fire if one started Fire safety in shared areas We are responsible for fire safety in the premises that we own, including shared areas. We test all fixed and portable electrical items we provide, and maintain any fire safety equipment that s either in the structure of the building or separate. We ask that you take care when using the shared areas and do not obstruct or interfere with anything that is provided in the interests of fire safety. Escape routes (corridors and stairs) should be free of obstacles and doors should not be blocked. Combustible materials, such as dried or silk flowers, can contribute significantly to a fire and will burn for a long time. For this reason we do not allow them in shared areas. You can buy fire-retardant Christmas decorations to help reduce the risk of fires. It is essential that these items are kept to a minimum and carefully placed when in shared areas or on your door (if your door leads to any shared spaces).

4 There are some circumstances where you may need to store equipment in a corridor or stairwell. This equipment may be essential to your health or wellbeing. These instances will have been assessed and the risk managed by our Health and Safety team, so always make sure you have received permission to do so. Fire safety equipment You can find fire safety equipment throughout our properties. This equipment includes: Fire doors Fire door closers Smoke, heat and carbon-monoxide detectors Fire doors provide important barriers between homes, rooms and corridors by providing 30 to 60 minutes of fire protection. They stop the fire and smoke from entering another area or room of the building. They really do work, so please don t misuse them or wedge them open, including front doors that lead to a shared space. Fire doors can be fitted with self-closers which allow the door to be held open, but close when a fire alarm is activated. Automatic closers, swing backs and door guards are some examples you might see on the property. If you are having trouble with your door as a result of the self-closer, report it to your housing and support team. Do not remove or adjust any closers. Self-closing

5 fire doors prevent smoke and fire entering shared corridors, so removing these puts other residents at risk. Lofts There are often important fire barriers in lofts and roof spaces that prevent fire and smoke spreading these may be included in the walls between lofts, the loft floors or the loft hatch. You must always ask permission from your housing and support team before paying contractors to carry out any work in your loft, such as installing a TV aerial or putting in a new light fitting. Under no circumstances should anyone other than an electrician carry out electrical work in lofts, as this is unlicensed and presents a serious fire risk. You should not store items in lofts. As well as being a fire risk, they can also damage fire barriers. Scooters Scooters have the potential to be a fire hazard and we have strict guidelines for storing them in and around the estate. You must make sure that you have permission to store a scooter in the building and, if so, that you keep your scooter in good condition with regular maintenance. Do not charge scooters overnight or store them in escape routes. For more information on scooters, please ask your housing and support team. Smoking One of the most common causes of fires in the home is smoking. You can smoke in your home but not in any shared areas of the estate. If you smoke, you must put out any cigarettes and so on before going to sleep or leaving your home. Tobacco is manufactured to stay alight, especially cigarette tobacco. Cigarettes can quietly smoulder for this reason, so leave it a while before you empty ashtrays. If you go outside to smoke, please

6 use the smoking area identified and dispose of cigarettes in a safe way. Oxygen You may need oxygen cylinders for medical purposes. Once you know that you will be using oxygen, you should tell your housing and support team so we can make a record of the type of equipment that you will be using. We need to be aware of any oxygen cylinders or other equipment on the estate when we carry out fire risk assessments, as this equipment is extremely explosive. Your housing and support team will give the information to Hanover on Call (or another call centre) so that we can tell the emergency services if there is a fire or other emergency. If you agree, we may place an appropriate warning symbol on your flat door to let the fire service know that you have oxygen equipment in your flat. You should not keep more than two oxygen cylinders in your flat (one you are using and one as a spare) and a portable one if needed. If you have only portable cylinders, you can have up to four. You must not leave oxygen cylinders (full or empty) outside your flat, including on a mobility scooter. Oxygen cylinders can be stored flat to prevent them falling over but must always be stood upright before use (for at least one hour) and during use. Keep your oxygen equipment in a well-ventilated area away from direct sunlight, sources of heat (radiators, storage heaters and so on) or large quantities of material that will easily burn, such as paper or cardboard. Materials burn much faster in oxygen than in air alone, and medical oxygen can build up unnoticed on your clothing, hair and bedding. As a result, you shouldn t carry or use portable

7 medical oxygen equipment under your clothing. You should never smoke or let anyone else smoke near you while you are using your oxygen equipment. You should not use oxygen equipment near open fires, candles, gas fires, cookers and so on. What to do if there is a fire Evacuation procedures The property you live in will have either a Stay Safe or Full evacuation plan in place. The plan will depend on how the estate was built and what fire detection equipment is present. This will have been explained to you when you moved in and we will remind you regularly afterwards. For either plan, if there is smoke or a fire in your home, you should go to your agreed place of safety (this will usually be outside or a shared area on the ground floor). If you cannot use the stairs, we will give you an agreed place of safety on the same level as your home. If there is a Full evacuation plan in place, you should do this whenever any fire alarm sounds (except for short tests). If there is a Stay Safe plan in place and, as long as the fire is not in your home, you may safely stay there, but only if you do not see or sense the effects of a fire or until you are told to leave by a fire officer. For these estates we will have made sure that your building has adequate fire prevention and protection measures in place, and a stay safe plan is absolutely the right approach. Stay safe does not mean stay put no matter what it means stay where you are as long as it remains safe to do so. If you are in a

8 shared area and hear the alarm, you should go to the assembly point or wait by a final exit from the building. If you are not sure, for example in converted buildings, leave and go to the place of safety. Please ask your housing and support team for more information on the evacuation procedures at your estate. Personal risk and evacuation plan (PREP) A personal risk and evacuation plan (PREP) allows us to make adjustments to your personal safety. For example, if you cannot hear the fire alarm when it is activated, a flashing light could be a way of letting you know there is a fire. Another important function of the PREP allows the fire service to know about any residents that may not be able to leave their home, giving them the relevant information (location and so on). Your housing and support team will discuss this with you. Our responsibilities We will make sure the fire risk assessment is completed for your estate and is regularly reviewed We will take any action needed as a result of the assessment within a reasonable time, taking into consideration the risk posed In all shared areas, we will carry out relevant maintenance checks and test all structural parts and equipment in relation to fire safety

9 You can ask us for the fire risk assessment for your estate Your responsibilities As a resident living at a Hanover property you are responsible for the fire safety in your home You must not tamper with any fire safety equipment or structure which has been fitted or put in place, or compromise fire safety within shared areas of the property Further information and advice Please contact your housing and support team for more information about fire safety. If they are not available please contact: Hanover on Call centre.on-call@hanover.org.uk or (24 hours a day, 365 days a year)

10 Gas safety in your home It is essential that the gas appliances in your home are working as they should be. Below is some important information which may help to keep you safe. Our responsibilities Before you moved in, we carried out a full gas safety check to make sure all gas appliances were in safe working order. While the property was empty, the gas supply was shut off, so we have arranged for this to be turned on. We will give you a carbon monoxide alarm, which our staff will check every three months. We also recommend that you test the alarm every month by pressing the Test button on it. It will make a high-pitched, loud beeping noise, usually louder than that of a smoke detector. We will carry out a service and a safety check of all the gas appliances in your home every year and we will give you a copy of the gas safety certificate. If you have installed your own gas appliances, you will be responsible for their maintenance and service checks. However, if during our check we find that any of your own appliances are dangerous, we will disconnect them. Gas appliances which are not properly looked after and serviced can cause carbon monoxide poisoning. This is very dangerous,

11 particularly because carbon monoxide is a gas you can t see, taste or smell. Your responsibilities For safety reasons, if you are planning to install your own gas appliances (such as a gas cooker) in your new home, make sure they are fitted by a Gas Safe registered contractor. You can find registered engineers on or by calling DIY work on gas appliances or fittings could be dangerous, is likely to be illegal, and may mean you have broken your tenancy conditions. Always check that the engineer you use has a Gas Safe Register ID card and that the ID number on the front of the card matches the number on the back. Once you have arranged a gas safety check, make sure you are around to let the registered Gas Safe engineer into your home at the scheduled time. It s much less hassle than trying to arrange another visit. Carbon monoxide is an odourless and colourless gas produced by faulty appliances such as gas cookers, gas boilers and solidfuel heating systems. Many people mistake the effects of carbon monoxide poisoning for flu symptoms. These symptoms include headaches, nausea, dizziness, being breathless, and collapsing. If your carbon monoxide alarm goes off or if you have any doubt about the safety of gas equipment, you should stop using the gas equipment immediately and contact Hanover on Call on

12 Lines are open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Or, you can get in touch with your housing and support team, who will contact National Grid. Make sure you test the alarm every month to check it is working properly. What to do if your carbon monoxide alarm sounds Do Open all doors and windows Leave the building If you feel ill after your alarm goes off, contact your doctor immediately or call 999 for an ambulance Tell your housing and support team or contact Hanover on Call Don t Ignore the alarm Stay in your home Go back into the property until it has been thoroughly aired and a certified engineer has checked and fixed your appliances

13 What to do if you smell gas Do Open all doors and windows Shut off the gas supply at your gas meter Put out all sources of ignition or naked flames Leave the building Tell your housing and support team, Hanover on Call or National Grid Don t Smoke or light any flames Turn any switches on or off (including light switches) Use telephones - including mobile phones

14 Further information and advice Please contact your housing and support team for more information about gas safety. If they are not available please contact: Hanover on Call or (24 hours a day, 365 days a year or, you can get advice from National Grid on )

15 Asbestos in your home Asbestos was frequently used in building work from the 1860s until it was banned outright in the UK in What is asbestos? Some materials containing asbestos can be found in properties built as late as Properties built after this date are unlikely to contain asbestos. Asbestos is a fibrous natural mineral. In the past it was added to a variety of products for strength, fireproofing and insulation, and to reduce noise. Some of the most common products that used asbestos were Artex, ironing board pads, fire blankets, floor tiles, sink pads, storage heaters, seals on cooker doors, boiler flues, corrugated roof sheets and insulation. Most asbestos in housing is low risk and unlikely to harm your health. Why can asbestos be dangerous? Certain types of asbestos are made up of small hooked fibres, which if airborne can be breathed deep into the lungs where they sometimes lodge themselves. The lodged fibres can then cause infection which could ultimately cause lung diseases, including cancer. It is not always the case that fibres can cause an infection they can stay in the lungs for many years without causing a problem.

16 Those at risk are people who have worked with asbestos for many years or have washed the dusty clothing of those who have worked with asbestos. Workplace regulations now protect these people. It is most unlikely that someone living in a house with asbestos would be exposed to asbestos fibres as they are locked in the products made from asbestos. There is only a slight risk if you interfere with or damage materials that contain asbestos. As long as materials containing asbestos are left undisturbed, there is no risk to you. Our responsibilities The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 place a duty on us to manage asbestos risks in non-domestic premises. These regulations say that we must have a register of where asbestos is found in our offices and in the shared areas where our residents live As your property becomes a place of work when our employees and contractors carry out repairs or visits, we have to extend our register to cover domestic premises such as yours We will tell you if there are any materials in your home which we have identified as being likely to contain asbestos

17 We will make sure that any material which contains asbestos and is in a shared area is maintained in a safe condition. If it is damaged, we will seal it or remove it Our contractors and staff have asbestos-awareness training to help us manage asbestos properly Your responsibilities Materials which contain asbestos but which are in good condition will not release asbestos fibres. There is no danger unless the fibres are released and breathed into the lungs. Short-term exposure to asbestos fibres can happen during DIY and maintenance, so these are risks you must avoid You should regularly check materials containing asbestos to look for signs of wear and tear, such as cracks, abrasions or water damage. If you can see any of these, please don t touch the material but let us know If you want to carry out any home improvements that may disturb material containing asbestos, you must contact the repairs team for permission to make sure proper controls are put in place to reduce exposure to you, your family or the person carrying out the work (if not yourself). If your home has vinyl floor tiles under the carpets, you should contact us before replacing or removing carpets Do not drill, cut or disturb materials which contain asbestos

18 Do not scrape or sand the materials before decorating. Some types of material are very soft and can release large numbers of fibres if rubbed or scraped Changes to the structure or fabric of your home are not allowed under your tenancy agreement without our written approval. If you carry out any work or allow others to carry out work without approval before the work starts, or otherwise deliberately damage or disturb materials containing asbestos, you may be legally responsible for any costs in dealing with an asbestos incident. These costs may be quite high Living with asbestos Treat asbestos with respect and make sure you avoid damaging asbestos material in your home. Do Contact us if you want to carry out any DIY work to your property that might affect materials which contain asbestos. If you are not sure, we can arrange for a member of staff to advise you Only a trained specialist contractor can remove the material (and for some products they also need to be licensed). If material containing asbestos is damaged, it may need to be removed or sealed. We will arrange any work to do this

19 Don t Don t panic - material containing asbestos is only a problem if it gets disturbed Don t drill, sand, cut or in any way disturb an area which is known to (or may) contain asbestos. Remember, if you don t breathe in asbestos dust, it can t harm you Don t use power tools on materials containing asbestos Don t remove or disturb asbestos containing material. We will do this Don t break the materials because this releases the small fibres into the atmosphere Don t use a domestic vacuum cleaner to clean up asbestos they spread the fibres rather than contain them Don t move material containing asbestos Where you might find asbestos in the home Roof tiles Water tank Underlay strips fixed below a gable or porch Gutters Down pipes Roof sheets Bath panel Coatings and paints

20 Insulation partitions and pipe boxing Eaves and fascias Panels behind heaters Panels on fire doors Floor tiles Behind fuse boards Black insulation pad under sink Boiler flue and parts Further information and advice Please contact your housing and support team for more information about asbestos. If they are not available please contact: Hanover on Call or (24 hours a day, 365 days a year) hse.gov.uk/asbestos The Health and Safety Executive aic.org.uk Asbestos Information Centre If in doubt, please seek advice.

21 Electrical safety in your home Electricity is a familiar and necessary part of everyday life, but it can kill or severely injure people and cause damage to property. Electricity can cause: Electric shocks Burns Loss of muscle control Electricity can cause other dangers such as fire. Please see the fire leaflet for more information. Here are some general safety tips that may help reduce the risk of electrical items causing harm. Always use electrical items in line with manufacturer s guidelines Do not overload sockets try to avoid using multi-socket adaptors and extensions Do not use or place electrical items where they may become wet Unplug your appliances once charged or when no longer in use

22 Get an electrician to test electrical items using portable appliance testing (PAT) to help reduce the risk of fire and injuries Our responsibilities We are responsible for making sure fixed electrical equipment throughout the estate and portable electrical equipment in shared areas is safe and maintained We will get a qualified electrician to carry out portable appliance testing every one or two years depending on the risk Your responsibilities You are responsible for the maintenance and safety of your own electrical appliances. We recommend that you get an electrician to carry out regular portable appliance testing on your electrical equipment to make sure it doesn t become faulty or pose a risk You should also be aware of overloading electrical systems as this can pose a risk to you and others on the estate. As a general rule, do not plug extension leads into other extension leads as this may lead to overloading Do not bring personal electrical equipment to use in shared areas unless previously agreed

23 Further information and advice Please contact your housing and support team for more information about asbestos. If they are not available please contact: Hanover on Call or (24 hours a day, 365 days a year)

24 Legionella in your home Legionella is a bacterium that may be found in very small amounts almost anywhere in your water supply. What is legionella? There is no risk if you swallow it, as your digestive system will kill it. But if you breathe in water spray (from showers, for example) that is heavily contaminated with bacteria, you may become ill with Legionnaires disease. Legionnaires disease is a form of pneumonia caught from bacteria from contaminated water systems. The disease is not spread from person to person, but by the bacteria multiplying in water supplies. This doesn t usually happen, but may do when conditions are right. This may be when water outlets are not run often or when water is stored between 25 and 40 C. How do people catch it? For contaminated water to pose a risk to health it has to be within a breathable spray. Often, the most likely cause is when a shower has not been used for a period of time, perhaps if you have been on holiday. Water in the shower hose may have been sitting at room temperature for some time and the shower head may have a lot of limescale, which harbours and feeds the bacteria. A simple way of reducing this risk is to regularly descale shower heads, drain shower hoses by allowing them to hang down, and safely run showers after long periods when they have not been

25 used. To do this, run water from both hot and cold supplies through the shower hose or showerhead for at least two minutes. The safest way of doing this is to run the shower into a plastic bag water will then drip out, or by holding the shower head under water in a bucket. Although anybody can catch Legionnaires disease, it is more likely to affect those who are susceptible because of their age, if they already have a respiratory weakness, or if they smoke. Symptoms of Legionnaires disease include: A cough and shortness of breath Fever, chills, tiredness and ataxia (a condition which affects balance, co-ordination and speech) Feeling or being sick, and diarrhoea Headache and muscle aches If you suspect you have Legionnaires disease, please contact your GP immediately or, if your symptoms are severe, call an ambulance. Black slime Sometimes there can be what appears to be slime coming from the kitchen sink tap this is an airborne bacterium that can develop in warm and humid conditions. While this doesn t look very nice, it does not mean your water supply is polluted. It is basically harmless and can be removed by cleaning with a washing-up detergent and scrubbing brush. If the slime continues

26 to come from the tap, speak to your housing and support team you may need a new washer or the tap may need adjusting. Our responsibilities As a landlord we have responsibilities under the Control of Substances Hazardous of Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH) to assess, prevent or control the risk of bacteria like legionella The housing and support team will regularly carry out checks on water systems in the shared areas. These include taking temperature checks, flushing outlets and descaling shower heads. They will record the results of these checks. We will take action if we find any problems. Specialist contractors also carry out water tests when necessary, with support from our housing and support team When one of our properties is empty, the housing and support team will carry out maintenance before another person moves in Your responsibilities You should allow the housing and support team access to carry out checks You should regularly clean and descale shower heads to prevent the possible growth of legionella

27 You should also tell the housing and support team if the hot water is not working properly or if you are experiencing any other problems with the water system If you leave your home for a week or more, for example to go on holiday, there are a couple of things you can do to protect yourself from Legionnaires disease You should run all your taps (hot and cold) for five minutes as soon as you return and flush the toilet with the lid down to prevent spray You should also run any showers safely so that water spray is not able to be breathed in. The most effective way of doing this is to run the shower into a plastic bag water will then drip out Further information and advice Please contact your housing and support team for more information about asbestos. If they are not available please contact: Hanover on Call centre.on-call@hanover.org.uk or (24 hours a day, 365 days a year)

28 Security in your home A few simple precautions can keep your home safe and give you peace of mind. Entrances and exits It is important at the property where you live to make sure everyone is safe in their homes. We have security procedures in place to reduce, as far as possible, security risks. These include keypads, locks and Hanover on Call (HOC). There are things you can do to help maintain security on your estate. Do not give out keypad numbers to family and friends. This information could make its way to the wrong people Be aware of people in and around the estate and tell the housing and support team about anyone you do not know Be aware when entering and leaving the building. People have been known to follow residents into their buildings. Make sure you challenge anyone you do not know in the building or tell the housing and support team Keep your front door closed and locked when you leave your home and also when you are at home. Even if you are going to the shared areas or another resident s home for a few minutes, make sure you lock your front door Make sure all windows are closed when you go to bed or leave your home. This will prevent access from the outside

29 Do not allow strangers into your home. If someone knocks on your door claiming to be a maintenance person and you did not know about the visit, check with the housing and support team before allowing them in Leaving fire doors wedged or propped open affects the safety of others, and is against the law If the housing and support team is not available, contact Hanover on Call Our responsibilities We will make sure all locks to shared areas including keypads, outside doors, windows and so on, are regularly maintained and kept in good condition. We have to act on and report any security issues to the relevant local authorities. At some locations we use closed-circuit television (CCTV) systems to help protect staff, residents, visitors and property. Where we have CCTV, we maintain the equipment to help prevent and detect crime and protect the safety of residents and staff. We keep footage for 28 days before it is deleted. We will not use it for other purposes.

30 Your responsibilities You must keep your locks, doors and windows in good condition. You must not let anyone you don t know into the building and should get advice from the housing and support team if someone you don t know wants to enter your home. Make sure your door is closed this will protect you and your home from intruders, as well as from smoke and fire. Do not wedge fire doors open. To prevent losing any personal items, never leave them unattended in shared areas. We will not accept responsibility for loss or damage to these. Further information and advice Please contact your housing and support team for more information about asbestos. If they are not available please contact: Hanover on Call centre.on-call@hanover.org.uk or (24 hours a day, 365 days a year)

31 General safety in your home There are a few things you can do to make sure you are safe in your home. Safety in your home Remove any unnecessary rubbish from your home as this will help to reduce the likelihood of accidents (slips, trips and so on) Use electrical items in line with manufacturer s guidelines and do not overload sockets. Get an electrician to carry out portable appliance testing (PAT) as this will help reduce the risk of fire and electrical injuries. (See the electrical safety leaflet for more details) Allow our staff to carry out relevant, regular maintenance checks in your home to make sure that any safety equipment is working as it should Shared areas We are responsible for maintaining and managing all shared areas. You can help us make sure that all shared areas are safe for everyone to use by not putting items or materials in escape routes (corridors), not wedging open or blocking fire doors and telling the housing and support team about any concerns you may have with the shared areas

32 Reporting faults If you come across anything that appears broken or that looks out of place, please tell your housing and support team as soon as you can. They will take the appropriate action. Dangerous substances in your home Dangerous substances are common in the home and include different types of cleaning products (bleach, aerosols) and personal hygiene products (sprays and creams). You can keep yourself safe when using these types of products by using them in line with manufacturer s guidelines and making sure that they are not mixed together. If they are flammable, you should store them appropriately, out of direct sunlight or other sources of heat and where they won t become damaged (please check the product label). Shown opposite are the dangerous warning signs and what they mean. Health and safety is everyone s responsibility. Our responsibilities We will make sure that all safety-related equipment and signs are maintained in the shared areas in the properties we own Our staff carry out checks every week, every month and every two months to make sure that all equipment and safety-related information is correct and in line with our standards and those set by law

33 Every six months, the housing and support team carry out safety checks and help the regional safety advisor carry out a yearly safety audit which focuses on detailed inspections of the properties we are responsible for and relevant inspection records We are committed to making sure we provide a safe environment for you when you are using our facilities Your responsibilities You should make sure that you help us to maintain high safety standards by using all facilities and shared areas in line with our guidelines and policies You should not misuse any safety equipment that we provide and you should follow any procedures we put in place in the interests of safety You should also report any misuse of equipment or faulty equipment to the housing and support team You also have a responsibility for your own safety and the safety of everyone who lives, visits and works on our estates. Keeping your home free of unnecessary rubbish and clutter can reduce the risk of fire or accidents

34 Further information and advice Please contact your housing and support team for more information about asbestos. If they are not available please contact: Hanover on Call or (24 hours a day, 365 days a year)