Fire safety training
This week,
Mid and West Wales Fire & Rescue along with Powys County Council Private
Sector Housing held discussions on fire safety issues in domestic properties.
Due to the importance and relevance of such issues, members of our Lettings Department
attended Newtown Fire Station for this briefing to ensure that our staff are
fully informed on current regulations. This is vital in ensuring that our
Landlords receive professional advice and to provide a duty of care to our tenants.
The fire at
Grenfell Tower last year showed the disastrous impact of what could happen when
a fire breaks out. Although we locally do not have such high-rise tower tenements,
we do manage a range of rental properties from four storey blocks of flats to
multi-level flats situated above shops in town centre locations.
At such
properties, there is a legal requirement to carry out a fire risk assessment of
the communal areas. This duty falls on the ‘responsible person’ which may
include the Landlord, or the Managing Agent contracted to carry out such duty
on behalf on the Landlord. In such properties, there will be a requirement for
adequate fire protection between floors and between flats and the communal
areas. There must be un-obstructed and protected escape routes and fire alarms
must be able to alert an occupant where a fire has started in another part of
the building. The use of such linked fire alarm systems is essential when
considering those flats situated above shops that close after normal working
hours. For such blocks of flats that we manage, our service may include carrying
out weekly fire alarms tests which are logged, and we can also deal with the servicing
and maintenance requirements.
So far as
self contained domestic rental properties are concerned, the emphasis on fire
safety remains the same. The Local Authority employs the Housing Health &
Safety Rating System (HHSRH) to assess the risk posed by fire and enforce
improvements. Our Lettings Policy ensures that measures are in place to mitigate
as far as practicably possible the risk of fire in our rental properties.
Almost half
of all domestic fires are caused by electricity and the Landlord is legally
responsible for ensuring the electrical safety in the property. To ensure full
compliance, we require an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) to be
carried out on every rental property which has a 5-year validity. If the Landlord supplies any portable
appliance such as a washing machine or fridge, these must be tested on an
annual basis. A smoke alarm must also be installed on each floor and these will
be tested on the first day of any new tenancy.
The legal and
appropriate requirements are there to reduce the risk of fire and to protect
the tenants in their home. Our Lettings Policy ensures that our Landlords have
fulfilled their legal obligations and have done everything possible in
providing a safe home environment.
A special thanks must be given to members of Newtown Fire Station and to Powys County Council Environmental Health team with whom we have forged a close working relationship.