Curo News

Stay safe this Christmas

Mon, 02 Dec 2024 09:34:32 Z

Christmas is a time for celebration, but fairy lights, trees, candles, and even cooking, can be potential hazards if you’re not careful.

Here’s a few tips to help make sure you and your family stay safe this Christmas.

Fairy lights

Before putting up your lights check them for any damage, including the lights, plug and connections. It’s also a good idea to check that they have the right fuse fitted. The box should tell you the maximum size of the fuse.

If you find any broken wires or bulbs, don’t use them — recycle them responsibly instead.

It’s especially important to check for damage if have older style lights (240V mains powered lights). Blown bulbs not only increase the risk of electric shocks but also cause other bulbs to overheat, making them dangerous near flammable materials such as Christmas trees and decorations.

If you're still using older lights, make sure you replace blown bulbs immediately and always turn the power off before changing them.

Low-voltage LED fairy lights are safer, more energy-efficient, and longer-lasting. LED lights remain cool to the touch, are less likely to break, and significantly reduce fire risks. They are safe to use around Christmas trees, fabrics, and children, making them an ideal choice for your home decorations. Plus, they use 90 per cent less electricity than the old-style lights which will help keep energy costs down.

Always turn your lights off when you go out, and before you go to bed.

When buying new lights, check that they have the British Standard Safety sign.

Wire, cables and plugs

LED lights are safer, but not entirely without risk. The transformer can get warm, so make sure you put it somewhere where air can circulate around it rather than near or under carpets or furniture that might trap the heat and make it more likely to overheat.

When plugging in your lights, don’t overload the sockets by using too many extension cables or multi-socket adapters. If you are using an extension cable make sure it’s fully extended or unravelled to avoid overheating, and don’t plug on into another.

Avoid trailing cables across the floor as they could be a trip hazard.

Outdoor lights

If you’re putting up lights outside, consider using an RCD (Residual Current Device). These can be bought online or from DIY stores, and will automatically cut off the electricity if there’s a fault.

Candles

Never put candles near your Christmas tree, or anything that could catch alight easily such as Christmas cards or homemade decorations.

Make sure any candles are fully out before you go to bed, and never leave a burning candle unattended.

Keep candles and lighters out of reach of children.

Smoke and heat detectors

Your detectors will be checked as part of your annual home safety check, but it’s a good idea to check them regularly yourself too. You can do this by pressing the test button on the alarm, which will sound if it’s working correctly.

If you think that yours aren’t working please let us know by calling 01225 366600 or by visiting MyCuro.

Going away this Christmas?

If you're going to be away from home over Christmas there's a few steps you can take to help keep your home safe and also save some money.

If you're going away overnight it's a good idea to turn off all non-essential appliances (things like TVs, games consoles, and even microwaves) at the plug.

Make sure you always turn off your fairy lights and any other decorations whenever you go out - even if you're only planning to be away from home for a short time.

You should also make sure that you've closed all the doors in your home. This will help contain heat if you have the heating on, and it can also help slow the spread of a fire if one breaks out while you're out. Always make sure that any fire doors are closed when not in use and don't have any damage.

Find out more

For more information about fire safety in your home visit our fire safety web pages.

There’s more advice on fire safety at Christmas on the government website and on the Fire Service website.

Fire training at Berkeley House

Mon, 16 Sep 2024 16:41:19 Z

There were dramatic scenes at Berkeley House in Bath on Friday, 6 September.

Fire officers from Avon Fire and Rescue Service descended on the Snow Hill block of flats, with two fire engines outside, a ladder reaching almost to the top of the building, and smoke filling a flat on the highest floor.

There was no need for alarm, however, as it was a planned training exercise to ensure that in the event of a real emergency the fire service will be able to respond swiftly and effectively to keep our customers safe.

The fire officers tested how high they could get the ladder, and then used the hose to see how much coverage of the building they could get with the water, and confirmed that they could reach all floors on that side of the building.

An empty flat on the eighth floor was filled with synthetic smoke and a dummy casualty was hidden in the bedroom so the fire officers could simulate a real life rescue. The smoke machine was left running for 30 minutes to check that the fire doors were effective at containing smoke.

Matt Bryant, Curo’s Fire Safety Team Leader Community Services, said: “The safety of our customers is our priority, and we are always very happy to work with Avon Fire and Rescue Service, to allow them to carry out training in our properties.

“Using the simulated smoke allowed us to test how the fire doors are working, and it was great to see how well the flat door prevented the smoke from reaching the communal areas.”

“Opening the door for just 90 seconds filled the area with smoke and the visibility was almost zero. In a real fire this smoke would be thick, black smoke and it would almost certainly be toxic. This really highlights the importance of keeping communal areas clear.

“In a situation like this, when you can’t see, the only way to get around is to use the wall as a guide. Any items left in the communal areas become a potential obstacle that could prevent a safe escape.

“It also highlights the importance of keeping communal areas clear. These areas are often escape routes, so if an item in a communal area caught fire, could mean the whole area filling with smoke, making it difficult and dangerous to get out.”

Bath Fire Station, Watch Manager - Rich Wheeler said, “Training in real buildings is essential within the work we carry out. It means that our crews are familiar with the environment and their surroundings in the case of a real fire. It also highlights any learnings we may need to have that can save us time in real life emergencies. Being able to work with organisations such as Curo is always a pleasure as it is clear they are committed to offering a high standard of safety for their residents.”

In the last year, we invested more than £8m in fire safety measures across its properties.

Fire training exercise planned at Berkeley House

Thu, 05 Sep 2024 14:36:27 Z

On Friday (6 September), at around 6pm, Avon Fire and Rescue Service will be carrying out a fire test and training exercise at Berkeley House.

You may notice a lot of activity with fire engines, ladders, hoses, synthetic smoke and fire officers in and around the building.

Please don’t be alarmed. This is a routine exercise that will check important safety features of the building and help AFRS to respond swiftly and effectively to any real emergency, keeping residents safe.

You won’t be expected to leave your apartment.
There will be three engines outside the building.
The fire service will run hoses up the staircase to test the dry risers (the pipes and valves that supply water for fire fighting).
They’ll let off some artificial smoke in one of the flats on the 8^th floor. Some of this may reach the lobby and stairwells.
AFRS will keep disruption to a minimum, but please take care when using stairs and entrances.

Working closely with the local fire service is an important part of Curo’s commitment to our customers’ safety. In the last year, Curo has invested more than £8m in fire safety measures across our properties.

We‘re writing to all residents of Berkeley House and putting notices up around Snow Hill to help share this information. If you have any questions or concerns in advance, please contact the Tom Battersby, Senior Property Safety Manager on 01225 366050 or email
firesafetyteam@curo-group.co.uk.