Fire

As students we cannot ignore the possibility of a fire happening where we live. As students we often live in shared houses, multiple occupancy can increase the risk of fire. Follow the advice from the South Wales Fire and Rescue service.

Student Fire Safety

Fit a smoke alarm on every floor of your home, ideally on the hallway or landing ceiling and test them weekly.

Don’t leave cooking unattended – Fire starts when your attention stops.

Alcohol and drugs impair your judgement – do not attempt to cook whilst under the influence or close to sleep. Never put water onto burning fat and never move a burning pan.     

Take extra care when smoking – every three days someone dies from a fire caused by a cigarette. Don’t smoke in bed. Take care if you are drowsy – it’s too easy to fall asleep and not notice that a cigarette is still burning. A cigarette in contact with furniture can smoulder for hours before erupting into a full scale fire and it is the inhalation of that smoke that is the killer.

Never leave candles unattended, put them out completely.

Don’t overload plug sockets, if you have to use an adaptor use one which has a fuse, and keep the total output to no more than 13amps. Watch out – a single kettle uses 13 amps alone.

Switch off electrical appliances like mobile charges and hair straighteners when not in use. Don’t leave appliances on stand by.

Escape - Learn the quickest way out, keep escape routes clear.

Secure portable heaters up against a wall so they don’t fall over. Keep them away from curtains and furnishings and never dry clothes on them.

False alarms costs lives and malicious activation is a criminal offence. Be aware that cooking fumes, cigarette smoke, deodorant sprays and shower steam can all trigger a false alarm.

If a fire starts – get out – stay out and dial 999

Your rights – The landlord must:

• Ensure gas appliances are installed and maintained annually by a corgi-registered plumber.
• Maintain wiring and electrical appliances provided to ensure they are safe.
• Make sure furniture and furnishing provided meet the fire resistance regulations.