What can you do to help prevent fires in your home?
- Have a working smoke alarm. Test it monthly. If the battery starts to ‘bleep’, contact Soha immediately and we’ll replace it within two working days.
- Cook safely and always switch off cookers, microwaves, and kettles after use. Keep flammable items away from heat.
- If you smoke in at home – always stub out cigarettes in an ashtray and never smoke in bed or when sleepy. Smoking is prohibited in the communal areas of sheltered, supported or Extra Care/Retirement Living accommodation.
- Make sure your electrical appliances, plugs and cables are used correctly and safely – don’t overload sockets. Unplug unused appliances and avoid using multiple adapters or exension leads from a single socket.
- Know where your fuse box is so that you can turn off the power supply in an emergency
- Keep communal areas clear and free of obstruction and materials that could cause a fire
- Get rid of rubbish in the areas provided – do not leave rubbish outside your front door, and don’t block any exits
Please click on the images below to read our most up-to-date fire safety guidance:
What to do in a fire
- Keep Calm. Get out, stay out and call 999
- Follow Soha’s fire evacuation procedure if you live in sheltered, supported or Extra Care/Retirement Living. You’ll be shown the evacuation plan when you move in. Keep it visible near your front door.
- Don’t re-enter the building until you’re told it’s safe to do so
- If you’re trapped, get everyone into one room, close the door and use bedding, towels or clothing to block any gap under the door that might let smoke or fumes in
There’s more fire safety guidance in our leaflet.
Soha’s responsibilities
At Soha we aim to keep our homes and offices safe for our residents, staff and visitors. We have fire safety controls in place and we review and test these on a regular basis.
Our Board receives a report every three months on how we meet our statutory requirements.
Fire protection measures are generally designed to ensure that the building is as safe as is practicable in the event of a fire breaking out, and that people can escape safely.
We have a range of policies and procedures for our homes and the communal areas in our blocks of flats and schemes. Fire risk assessments are undertaken in communal areas by specialist Consultants commissioned by Soha. We inspect the communal areas in our sheltered and extra care schemes every year and the communal areas in our general needs blocks of flats every three years. You’ll receive a sumamry letter with any recommendations within 10 working days of the inspection.
This inspection includes a check of flat front entrance doors opening onto common parts to make sure they are fire rated to contain smoke and fire, so that should a fire occur within a flat, the common areas of the building and the residents are not placed at an undue risk.
How you can help in the prevention of fire in your homes?
The type of property you live in will determine when and how often Soha arranges a fire risk assessment of the common parts of your building. We will need access to your home to inspect the front door if it opens onto a communal area.