Fire Safety at Home: Top Tips

DID YOU KNOW: Over 50% of house fires start in the kitchen! Make sure you stay alert and follow these tips to keep your home safe.

Kitchen Safety:

• Keep cooking areas clean. Grease and fat can easily catch fire.
• Don’t leave cooking unattended.
• Keep flammable items (for example tea towels, paper towels, electrical cords) away from the oven or hob.
• Avoid cooking when tired or after drinking alcohol.
• Never leave your children or pets unattended when cooking.

DID YOU KNOW: Candles can be a big fire risk when not used properly. In particular, many people use candles during the winter months and over the Christmas holidays.

When lighting candles around your home, don’t forget these tips.

Candle Safety:

• Use heat-resistant holders for candles and tealights. Make sure you don’t place candles or tealights directly on plastic surfaces.
• Keep candles away from anything that can burn (curtains, furniture, paper/cardboard).
• Never leave burning candles unattended. Blow them out before leaving the room or going to sleep.
• If you do wish to use candles, consider using battery powered candles instead of a real one – which is much safer.

DID YOU KNOW: There were over 2000 smoking related fires recorded in 2022/23 in the UK. Smoking is a leading cause of fire fatalities.

Smoking Safety:

• Ideally; smoke outside and prevent accidental fires inside the home completely.
• Use deep, sturdy ashtrays that won’t tip over easily.
• Never smoke in bed – falling asleep while smoking is a major cause of house fires.
• Always extinguish cigarettes completely.
• Smoke away from flammable items, like bedding, curtains and paper/cardboard.
• Never smoke near oxygen tanks or gas appliances.
• Consider smoke-free alternatives like vaping or nicotine replacement therapies – it’s never too late to quit smoking!

DID YOU KNOW: Smoke alarms save lives, but they need to be working and tested regularly. Make sure your smoke alarm is working!

Smoke Alarm Safety:

• Test your smoke alarm regularly – you should always regularly test your smoke alarm.
• A great way of doing this is to set aside one day a week to remember to test your alarm – for example, “Test It Tuesday”.
• If your smoke alarm isn’t working correctly when you test it, report it to LHP straight away.

ALWAYS REMEMBER – if you do experience a fire in your home, call 999 immediately.

Protect your belongings with Contents Insurance

Your home is full of things you love and things you can’t do without. Personal items like your phone and practical ones like the TV. It could be worth protecting them in case the worst happens. And guess what? It may not cost as much as you might think for tenants contents insurance. Prices start from as little as 45p per week, £1.47 per month, or £15.65 a year* for contents insurance.

*Prices shown are for £4,000 of contents insurance cover, based on postcode area, and include a transaction fee. They exclude accidental damage and optional covers. The price you pay will depend on your individual circumstances, postcode and cover chosen. RSA price data June 2023.

Visit the RSA Insurance website today to find out more, or call 0345 671 8172