We take fire safety very seriously and are committed to securing the safety, health and wellbeing of everyone within the Torus community. To help do this we:
Torus is required to comply with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. Carrying out a Fire Risk assessment helps us to identify any fire related safety risks that may be present in our properties and any actions we may need to take to manage these risks. Safe use and storage of electrical equipment is important in fire prevention.
How often we carry out a Fire Risk Assessment depends on the level of risk.
Fire Risk Assessment (communal areas) | |
---|---|
Type of Property | Frequency |
Flat | At least every 3 years |
Multi-storey block | Every year |
Sheltered / Extra Care | Every year |
Bungalow | Not required |
House | Not required |
We will only need to access communal areas within the building. However, in flat blocks we may need access to individual flats to check fire doors, safety features e.g., closing mechanisms.
To find out more about your Fire Risk Assessment contact Torus Compliance Team, via Torus Customer Hub.
If there is a fire don’t take risks! Get Out, Stay Out and Call 999
Did you know that most fires start in the kitchen? Did you know that you’re eight times more likely to die with no smoke alarm fitted? From creating a bedtime routine, to preventing electrical faults, there are simple steps you can take to ensure you and your family are as safe as possible in your home.
Plan an escape route and make sure everyone in your household knows how to escape in case of a fire.
If you live in a Multi-storey Block, Sheltered or Extra Care Scheme ensure that you know and follow the fire procedure. The safety notice boards contain important information which all tenants must read.
If you live in a residential block, you should know your building’s evacuation plan. This is what you do in the event of a fire in the building. Everyone who lives in your home should know the evacuation plan and your quickest, safest route out of the building.
You’ll have one of two types of evacuation plan: stay put or simultaneous evacuation. A sign by the front entrance of your block will explain which type of plan is used in your building. This information is also provided when you move in.
Stay put means that if there is a fire elsewhere in your building, you’re usually safer staying in your flat with the doors and windows closed.
Important: if your flat is affected by fire or smoke, leave immediately, closing the door behind you. Once you’re safely outside, phone 999 for the fire brigade.
Simultaneous evacuation means if you hear a fire alarm in your flat and throughout the building – or you know there is a fire in the building – you should follow your evacuation plan and leave by the quickest and safest route. Don’t re-enter until you’re told it’s safe.
Most of our blocks have stay put plans, which means they don’t have communal fire alarms. This follows fire brigade recommendations. In a building with a stay put plan, a communal alarm system can be confusing and cause residents to mass evacuate. This is potentially dangerous and can also prevent firefighters from reaching the fire.
Useful tips and information to keep you and your family safe.
If there’s a problem with a door-closer, or a door doesn’t fit the frame properly and leaves a gap, please contact us.
Leave communal areas clear - you’re not allowed to keep or store anything in communal areas.
Keep communal areas clear of rubbish and personal items such as door mats, bikes, prams or mobility scooters, so you can escape quickly and safely in the event of a fire or emergency. Things left in communal areas can also help to spread a fire or can obstruct or cause injury in the event of fire when you or your neighbours are trying to evacuate.
If you see rubbish or personal items in communal areas, please contact us.
Oxygen has been widely used medically for many years. Oxygen therapy means using an oxygen cylinder or a machine to breathe in air that contains more oxygen than normal.
If you use oxygen therapy at home, you will need to take some additional fire safety precautions. If used sensibly, oxygen can be safe. However, used incorrectly it can cause severe burns, which can prove fatal.
Using oxygen safely
Do not use oxygen next to:
Storage
Lithium batteries can cause fires and can KILL!
Top tips to keep you, your family, and neighbours safe:
Warning signs to look for that indicate your battery is a fire hazard:
Never block escape routes with an e-bike or e-scooter and ensure you have working smoke and heat alarms in your home to be alerted to the first signs of fire.
We check all fire equipment regularly to make sure it’s working, like your building’s emergency lighting, automatic opening vents and fire alarms.
Residential tower blocks with one main staircase and no fire escape are designed in this way so that if a fire breaks out in a flat, it will be contained by fire doors and not spread. This protects the communal staircase from fire, leaving it as a safe escape route.
Advice from the fire brigade and other authorities recommends that fire alarms should not be fitted in the communal areas of blocks which operate a stay put policy, where it is safer for you to stay in your own flat.
This is because it would be confusing and even dangerous for residents to hear a communal alarm when they have been advised to stay in their flat in the event of a fire.
Fire extinguishers aren’t normally provided, except where staff are employed on site who are trained to use the equipment, or where there are communal facilities including plant rooms and staff rooms.
In the event of a fire, don’t try to put it out: follow your evacuation plan and get to safety.
The fire brigade advises that it is not practical to have fire drills in residential blocks. Instead, you should make sure you’re up to date on fire safety advice and that you and your family know what to do in the event of a fire, including practising your evacuation plan.