We all know how a spring clean sometimes ends up: piles and piles of black bags all over your apartment, stuffed full of the leaflets, letters, newspapers and clutter you have managed to accumulate over the last year. This has led to fire safety experts asking people to make sure that their fire escape routes are clear when they are having a spring clean.
Even though this campaign is primarily aimed at homeowners and tenants, we thought it would be a good idea to take this opportunity to remind landlords about fire safety procedures and what they can do to keep tenants safe.
Below we have outlined 7 important fire safety tips that will help to keep your tenants safe while they are living in your building:
- Make sure you have conducted a full risk assessment and made an emergency plan. Ensure that all of your tenants have access to a fire escape route, and that they are clear on what to do in the event of a fire.
- Make sure your fire detection system is working effectively, and that everyone who lives in your building knows how to use it. It is important that you have smoke alarms located inside your tenants' flats and not just in public or communal areas.
- If any of your tenants suffer from a disability, ensure your building is properly equipped to support them. For example, you may need to provide them with a flat on the ground floor, and make sure that the fire exit is easily accessible for them.
- Ask your tenants to be vigilant of fire risks and report any potential hazards they encounter to you immediately. This also means that you will have to respond to these concerns immediately. Fires can cause hundreds of pounds' worth of damage to your property, not to mention potentially fatal injuries to your tenants. It is important to ensure that you are not putting their lives at risk through negligence.
- Perform checks on your properties to ensure that your tenants are keeping the fire doors shut and the exit routes clear of obstacles and rubbish. If you find that your tenants are blocking the fire exits, clear the exit and kindly remind them of the risks that they are putting themselves in by blocking the exits.
- Check your fire safety signs and emergency lighting. Make sure that the fire exits are clearly marked throughout your building. If you find that the signs are damaged, or vandalised, you can buy replacement fire safety signs from our fire sign department. Browse our signs here.
- Make sure all the fire extinguishers are in good working condition; this includes the fire extinguishers and fire blankets that are provided in your tenants' flats. Make sure your tenants know where they are located so they can access them in the event of an emergency
Here at Label Source we take fire safety extemely seriously, which is why we stock a huge range of fire safety products, including:
If you require a specific sign but cannot locate it within our fire safety sign department, please contact us on 0800 3761 693 where a member of our customer service team will be happy to assist you.