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Safety And SecurityThis section tells you about:

• Homesecurity.

• Keys.

• Smokedetectors.

• Firesafety.

• Firesafetyinyourhome.

• Electricalsafety.

• Gassafety.

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Home SecurityThemoresecureyourhomeis,themoresecureyouwillfeel.Pleasefollowthesesimpletips:

• Whenyougoout,closeallthewindows,lockyourentrancedoor/sandleavealighton.

• Neverleaveyourdoorkeyunderthedoormatoraflowerpot.

• Checktheidentityofallcallersbeforeyouletthemin.TaffHousingAssociationstaffwillalwayscarryanidentitybadge.

• Alwayscancelnewspapers/milkwhenyougoaway.Alwaysletusknowifyouaregoingtobeawayfromyourhomeforalongperiodoftime.

KeysWedonotkeepsparekeystoyourhome.Ifyouloseyourkeyandthelockhastobeforced,youwillbechargedforthedamagecausedandforanyreplacementlocks/keys.Itisthereforeagoodideatoleaveasparesetofkeyswitharelativeorfriend.

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Smoke DetectorsWefitsmokedetectorstoallourproperties,andservicethemeveryyear.Thealarmwillmakealoudnoiseifafirebreaksout.

Youmustnever:

• Trytodisconnectyouralarm.

• Paintoverit.

• Moveit.

Ifyoursmokedetectorisbatteryoperatedyoumustnever:

• Removethebattery.

• Delayreplacingawornoutbattery.

Foryourownsafety,pleasetestthedetectoreverymonth,andcontactuson02920259100ifthereareanyproblems.

Youmustallowusaccesstoyourhomeeveryyeartoenableustoservicethesmokedetector.Failuretodosocouldputyouandyourfamilyatrisk.

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Fire Safety In Your HomeGETSMARTABOUTFIRE,BUTIFNECESSARY

3 GETOUT.

3 STAYOUTANDCALLTHEFIRESERVICE!

Yourbuildinghasbeenbuiltinsuchawayastoprotectthepeopleinitifafirebreaksout.Theimportantthingtorememberisthatifafirestartsinyourhome,itisuptoyoutomakesurethatyoucangetoutofit.

Arecentfiresafetyawarenesscampaignbythegovernmenthashighlightedthat “It only takes three breaths of toxic smoke to render an adult unconscious and one breath of toxic smoke could kill a baby or a small child.”

Don’twaituntilafirehappens,itmaybetoolate!Readthesenotesandfindoutthebestwayforyouandyourfamilytogetoutofyourhomeandalsooutofthebuildingifafirestartssomewhereelse,sothatyouandyourfamilywillbeawareofwhatyoushoulddo.

Makeyourescapeplan–getoutalive!

3 Discussyourescapeplanwitheveryoneinyourhome,especiallychildren,theelderlyanddisabled.

3 Yourbestescaperouteisyournormalwayinandoutofyourhome,sokeepitclear.

3 Thinkofdifficultiesyouorothersmayhavegettingout,forexampleinthemiddleofthenight.

3 Makesureeveryoneknowswheretofinddoorandwindowkeys.

3 Considerasecondescaperoute,incasethefirstoneisblocked.

3 Establishthesafestandquickestwaystoescapefromeachpartofthehouse.

3 Practiceyourfireescapeplan.

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You should also make sure that:

3 Cigarettesareproperlyextinguishedbeforebeingputinbins.

3 Cookingequipmentiskeptingoodworkingorder.

3 Cookingequipmentsuchaschipandfryingpansarenotleftunattended.

Ifyouandalltheotherpeopleinthebuildingfollowthisadvice,youwillbelesslikelytostartafireorbeinjuredinone.

Ifyouhaveanyconcernsregardingfiresafety,pleaseletusknowsothatwecanadviseyou.Telephone02920259100

IF A FIRE BREAKS OUT IN YOUR HOME:

Ifyouareintheroomwherethefireis,leavestraightaway,togetherwithanybodyelse,thenclosethedoor.

5 Do not staybehindtotrytoputthefireout.

5 Do notgobackintoyourhomeforanyreason.

5 Ifthereisaliftinyourbuildingdo notuseit.

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3 Telleverybodyelseinyourhomeaboutthefireandgeteverybodytoleave.

3 Closethefrontdoorandleavethebuilding.

3 CALL THE FIRE SERVICE.

CALLING THE FIRE SERVICE:

Thefireserviceshouldalwaysbecalledtoafire,evenifitonlyseemsasmallfire.Thisshouldbedonestraightaway.

Tocallthefireservicebytelephone:

• Dial999fromalandlineoramobilephone.

• Whentheoperatoranswers,givethetelephonenumberyouareringingfromandaskforFIRE.

• Whenthefireserviceanswers,tellthemclearlytheaddresswherethefireis.

• Donotreplacethereceiveruntilthefireservicehasrepeatedtheaddresstoyouandyouaresuretheyhavegotitright.Thefireservicecannothelpiftheydonothavethefulladdress.

• Findsomewheresafetowait.Whenthefireservicearrives,givethemasmuchinformationaspossibleaboutthefireandthebuilding.

FIRE PRECAUTIONS:

Fireprecautionsareinplaceforyoursafety,andinblocksofflatsforthesafetyofallresidents.

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IF YOU LIVE IN A BLOCK OF FLATS:

Informationonthefirealarmsysteminyourbuildingwillbedisplayedonthenoticeboardintheentrancehall.Ensurethatyouareawareofanyspecificinstructionsregardingactioninthecaseoffiree.g.raisingthegeneralalarmbyoperatingthecallpointswherefittedanddialling999.

Ifyouseeorhearafireinanotherpartofthebuildingandyouareunabletoleavethebuildingbecauseofthis,itwillusuallybesafeforyoutostayinyourownhome,butyoumustleaveyourhomeifsmokeorheataffectsit.Ifsafetodoso,closealldoorsandwindows.

• Donotstorerubbish,householdwaste,furnitureorotherbelongingsinanypartofthecommunalentranceorstairs.Theseitemscanblocktheescaperoutefromflatsandaddtoanyfirethathasstarted.

• Donotinterferewithanyfiresafetyequipment.

• Donotplaceobjectsbyanyfiredoortoholditopen.

• Donotstorebottledgas,paraffin,petroloranyotherdangerousgoodsinyourhomeoranycommunalareas.

• Donotusealiftifthereisafireinthebuildingorthefirealarmissounding.

SMOKE AND HEAT ALARMS:

Thesearefittedinourpropertiesbutthenumberandtypevaries.Thealarmwillmakealoudnoiseifafirebreaksout.

• Youmustnevertrytodisconnectyouralarm,paintoverit,moveit,removethebatteryordelayreplacingawornoutbattery.

• Youshouldremovedustfromyoursmokealarmsregularlyusingavacuumcleaner.

Foryoursafetythesealarmsmustbetestedweekly.Usethetestbuttontotestthealarm.Pleaseletusknowimmediatelyon02920259100iftheyarefaultyoryourequireadviceontesting.Youmustallowusaccesstoyourhomewhenrequiredtoenableustoservicethesmokedetectororfirealarmsystem.

Thefiredetectionoralarmsystemhasbeendesignedforpersonswithnodisabilities.Pleaseletusknowimmediatelyifyourcircumstanceshavechangedandifyourequireanyspeciallyadaptedfirealarmsystemstosuityourrequirements.

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Electrical SafetyWesuggestthatyoufollowthesehandyhintstoensureyoursafety:

• Switchoffapplianceswhennotinuseandremoveplugsfromtheirsockets,especiallywhenyougotobed.

• UseplugsthatconformtoBritishStandard1363or1363A.Makesuretheyarefittedproperlyandarefittedwiththecorrectfuse.

• Clocks,radios,tablelampsandblackandwhitetelevisionsrequire3ampfuses.

• Colourtelevisions,electricdrills,foodmixers,hairdryers,ironsandvacuumcleanersrequire5ampfuses.

• Electricfires,kettles,toasters,andwashingmachinesrequire13ampfuses.

• Neverrunanelectricalappliancefromalightfitting.

• Alwaysseekprofessionaladviceregardingelectricalappliances.

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Gas SafetyIfyousmellgasyoumust:

• TurnoffthewholesupplyandcontactNationalGridon0800111999.

• Putoutcigarettesanddonotusematchesornakedflames,andavoidusingelectricalswitches(includinglightswitches).

• Opendoorsandwindows.

• Checkthatyourcooker(ifgas)hasnotbeenleftonorthataburnerorthepilotlighthasblownout.

Gas Servicing

Gasboilersandfirescangiveoffadeadlygas,carbonmonoxide,iftheyarenotservicedannually.Bylaw,landlordshavetoservicethesegasappliancesevery12months.Thisalsoensurestheheatingsystemisworkingproperly,soitislesslikelytobreakdown,anditischeapertorun.

Ourservicingengineerswillwritetoyoushortlybeforetheannualservicedatetogiveyouanappointmentfordoingtheservice.Ifthisisnotconvenient,ringtoarrangeanewappointmentatasuitabletime.

Pleasemakesureyoukeepyourappointmentwiththeengineerandgetyourboilerserviced.Ifthisisnotdoneyouareputtingyourself,yourfamilyandpossiblyyourneighboursatrisk.

Ifyoudonotallowusaccesstoyourpropertytocarryoutthisessentialservice,wewilltakelegalactiontogainentry.Youwillbeliableforthecostofanylegalactionthatwehavetotake.

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