Fire Safety and Prevention (Home Safety Visits)

Fire Safety and Prevention

There is a 1 in 5 chance that a person will experience a serious fire in their lifetime. Most fires within the home start accidentally and you are 7 times more likely to die in a fire if you do not have working smoke alarm.

Over the past 10 years Fire and Rescue Services have seen a significant decrease in the number of fire related incidents and a dramatic increase in the number of homes fitted with smoke alarms.

Fire and Rescue Services are now delivering Home Safety Visits for their local communities to do more. Early intervention and prevention are at the heart of their efforts to support the safety and the health and well-being of people in our communities.

Fire safety at home

Most fires in the home start accidentally and the effects can be devastating

It is important that you know how to reduce the chances of a fire starting in your home and keep yourself, your family, and your property safe from fire.

For the past 10 years, Fire and Rescue Services have focused considerable efforts on reducing fire risk and preventing avoidable harm across the life course. Much of this work has been undertaken alongside a range of partners.

Home Safety Visits have expanded on the content of the traditional Home Safety Visit, to include advice to help an individual improve their health and wellbeing – with the ultimate goal of reducing their risk from fire. The risk factors for fire are closely aligned to the risk factors for increased vulnerability to poor health.

The following is a list of vulnerabilities that may indicate a person is at more risk of harm from fire:

Someone is considered more at risk from a fire in the home if they:

  • Are aged over 65 and live alone
  • Are aged over 85
  • If they smoke
  • Have children in the property
  • Would be unable to self evacuate in the event of a fire
  • Have memory issues, poor mental health or a learning disability
  • Have experienced sight loss or hearing loss

Arson

If someone has been threatened with arson against their property, the Fire Service will visit within 48 hours (usually the same day) to fit an arson-proof letterbox blocker and deliver safety advice related to the arson threat. The referral for this must come from police or a domestic abuse support agency.

Very Brief Intervention

Ask

Please can I ask you a few questions about Fire Safety in your home?

Do you have working smoke alarms in your property?

  • Explain that having a working smoke alarm is the easiest way of protecting your home and family from fire

Can you remember when you last tested your smoke alarm?

  • Explain that people tend to forget to test their alarm regularly (ideally every month) and that standard batteries should ideally be replaced every year
  • Try and make smoke alarm testing part of your regular routine

Did you know that your local Fire and Rescue service offer a range of advice on Fire Safety and Prevention and in some cases, can provide what they call a Home Safety visit, would you like some more information on this?

Would you like some further information on how you can avoid fires in your home?

Assist

The person has requested some further information on Fire Safety advice or a visit from their Local Fire and Rescue Service

  • Explain that the visit that is tailored to an individual’s needs and covers Fire Safety along with advice and support to promote good health and wellbeing.

Your local Fire and Rescue Service will prioritise Home Safety visits to the most vulnerable people in our community. The following is a list of vulnerabilities that may indicate a person is at more risk of harm from fire:

  • The person doesn’t have working smoke detectors in the property
  • The person lives alone
  • There is someone living in the home aged 85 or over
  • There is a smoker living in the property
  • There is someone in the home that might not hear the smoke alarm sounding, either awake or asleep
  • There is someone living in the home that would experience difficulties escaping in the event of a fire due to physical disability or health condition
  • There is someone living in the home that would be at an increased risk of fire because of memory issues, poor mental health or a learning disability
  • There is someone living in the home that is currently taking medication that makes them sleepy during the day
  • There is someone living in the home that might not respond to a smoke alarm due to alcohol or drug use
  • There is a someone living in the home that uses emollient creams
  • There is someone living in the home that uses the following: Home Oxygen equipment or an Airflow pressure relieving mattress and cushions
  • Hoarding or storage of large amounts of combustible materials that could potentially impede an escape (such as items in hallways and on staircases causing obstructions or trip hazards)

The above is not an exhaustive list but if the answer is YES to any of the above then please encourage the person to enquire about a Home Safety Visit *(See ACT Section)

The person has requested some further information on fire avoidance in the home

    • Smoke Alarms: Remind about the importance of Smoke alarms
      • Make testing part of your household routine
      • Test by pressing the button until the alarm sounds
      • If your smoke alarm(s) start to beep on a regular basis, you will need to replace the batteries or alarm
    • In the Kitchen: State that around half of all home fires are caused by cooking accidents:
      • Do not leave cooking unattended and take pans off heat, switch off if you leave the kitchen.
      • Take care if wearing loose clothing and keep tea towels and cloths away from the cooker and hob.
      • If a pan catches fire – turn heat off if possible. Get out, close the door behind you, leave the house and call 999. Do not try to extinguish the fire with water or a tea towel

    • White goods
      • Don't leave the washing machine or dishwasher running overnight or while you are out
      • For tumble dryers:
        • Remove the lint from the trap after every load of clothes dried
        • Do not cover the vent or any other opening
        • Ensure the vent pipe is free of kinks and is not crushed in any way

    • Cigarettes – Highlight the importance of safe disposal
      • Always ensure cigarettes are fully extinguished
      • Only use proper ashtrays and never place directly into a bin
      • Never smoke in bed and avoid smoking when taking medication that causes drowsiness, drinking alcohol or using recreational drugs.
      • Keep cigarettes, matches and lighters away and out of reach of children

    • Electrics – Highlight the importance of not overloading sockets
      • Try to keep to one plug per socket
      • Avoid cube adaptors, and use an extension cable instead
      • Check and replace old or frayed electrical cables
      • Keep portable heaters away from curtains and furniture and never use them for drying clothes
      • Always switch off before going to bed
      • Never leave electric hair straighteners on carpets or beds
      • Keep laptops on a hard non-flammable surface and not on sofas, beds or carpets

    • Candles – Highlight the importance of securing candles in proper holders
      • Keep away from curtains, soft furnishings and other flammable materials
      • Never leave children or pets alone in a room when candles are lit. Always extinguish candles before leaving the room 

    • Establish a Bedtime Routine
      • Close all internal doors before going to bed
      • Turn off and unplug any unnecessary electrical appliances
      • Check your oven and hob are turned off
      • Ensure candles and cigarettes are fully extinguished
      • Keep your door and window lock keys in an accessible place close to the exits       
    • Make an Escape Plan – Highlight that delaying your escape can be fatal. Smoke from a fire is toxic and can leave you unconscious in just two or three breaths.
      • Plan an escape route and make sure everyone knows how to escape
      • Make sure exits are kept clear
      • Ensure you have easy access to a phone in your bedroom at night
      • Keep door and window keys where everyone can find them easily
      • Review your plan if your ability to escape or your property layout changes

     

Act

What to do if there is a Fire

  • You should get out of the property, stay out and call 999
  • Keep calm and act quickly get everyone out as soon as possible
  • Close all doors behind you, if it is safe to do this
  • Do not tackle the fire yourself
  • Before you open a door check if it’s warm, if it is do not open it as fire may be on the other side
  • If there is smoke, keep low where the air is clearer
  • If your clothes catch fire, you should lie down and roll around. If possible, smother the flames with a heavy material such as a coat or a blanket – remember – STOP, DROP and ROLL

What to do if you cannot get out

  • If safe to do so gather everyone into one room, ideally with a window and a phone
  • Put bedding around the bottom of the door to block out smoke
  • Call 999 and an operator will offer survival advice whilst you are on the phone
  • If you do not have access to a phone, open the window and shout “HELP FIRE”

Fire and Rescue Service Home Safety 

Please use the Local Support and Contact details section below for signposting information to request either a Home Safety visit for further Fire Safety advice from the Fire and Rescue Service.

Online home safety check

As most Fire and Rescue Services have waiting lists for home visits, you can do a home self-assessment using the Safelincs online home fire safety check tool.

You can use the tool to:

  • identify fire risks in your home
  • learn how you can reduce the risks
  • create your own home fire safety plan.

Complete your own online home safety check using this link: HFSC (safelincs.co.uk)

Further information on Home Safety Visits can be found on the local area links below:

Hoarding UK

What you can do

  • If you know a friend, family member, or someone you care for is hoarding, talk to them about the fire home safety visit service. 
  • A friendly Fire and Rescue service staff member will visit them in their home to give advice and guidance without judgement or embarrassment. 
  • If someone wants to get rid of items, professional help is available. There is a register of professional declutterers who can work with people to support them to remove excess belongings.
  • Show this video of a firefighter talking about his own experience with hoarding (5 minute video) Hoarding | Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service (dsfire.gov.uk)

Safety tips to prevent a fire in a hoarded home

If someone you know lives in a home that is full of belongings, help them to live more safely by:

  • helping them to plan and practise a fire escape plan. Stress the importance of clear routes and exits in case of a fire. Practise the plan often. Exit routes may change as new items are brought into the home.
  • installing working smoke alarms in the home. Test them every week (or at least once a month).
  • making sure flammable items (such as tea towels, dishcloths, and clothes) are kept away from portable heaters, the stove or the oven
  • checking electrical wiring - it may be old or worn from the weight of their possessions. Pests can chew on wires. Damaged wires can start fires.
  • helping them to manage their paperwork - newspapers and mail are particularly flammable. Recycle newspapers and post as soon as it is finished with. In the event of a fire, they would cause it to spread rapidly.
  • encouraging safer smoking habits such as smoking outside, discarding cigarettes in a suitable ashtray, and regularly emptying ashtrays.
  • Book a home safety visit and the Fire and Rescue Service can install free smoke alarms and specialist equipment and have a conversation with the person about keeping safe in their home.

Hoarding UK support people affected by hoarding behaviours. Their aim is to empower individuals experiencing hoarding behaviours to achieve spatial and personal change, to reduce isolation and improve their health and well-being. They are a multi-service organisation, helping thousands of people over ten years of service.

Web: https://hoardinguk.org/

Local Support and Contact Details