Safety in your home

EastendHomes encourage our tenants to take safety in their home seriously. Every year over 5,000 people in the UK die as a result of accidents in their home and 2.7 million people have to visit Accident & Emergency at a local hospital.

RoSPA (the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents) provide a detailed site giving advice on how you can stay safe in your home, full of tips, tricks and suggestions.

Fire Safety

burning flame Although fortunately rare, fire is a major threat to your home and it is important that both you and EastendHomes take every action to minimise the risk of fires occurring.

EastendHomes carries out regular assessments of all our blocks to check on fire safety and prevention measures. This will include requesting our residents to alter their behaviour if they actions are contributing to the risk of a fire breaking out, such as leaving large or flammable items in communal areas. We take such actions in the interest of the safety of all our residents.

You should ensure that all of your household understand what to do in the case of a fire breaking out in your home or your block. Unless the fire is in your home, the advice of EastendHomes and the Fire Brigade is normally to 'stay put'. See our Fire Safety leaflet [pdf 807KB] for more information.

You can also view on this site Fire Risk Assessments for the tower blocks that EastendHomes manages.

If you have concerns about fire safety within your home, you can request a Home Fire Safety Visit from the London Fire Brigade. Visit their website to book a visit.

Gas Safety

Gas Safe Register logo Badly fitted and poorly serviced gas appliances can cause gas leaks, fires, explosions and carbon monoxide poisoning. Every year thousands of people across the UK are diagnosed with carbon monoxide poisoning. It is a highly poisonous gas. You can’t see it, taste it or smell it, but it can kill quickly with no warning.
For all our tenants, EastendHomes must keep gas appliances to use in good condition. We arrange a gas safety check every 12 months and give you a record of the check. It is essential that you allow access to your home by our contractor when an appointment is made for this servicing to be completed. If you are a tenant living in a privately owned property on one of our estates, make sure that your landlord arranges for these checks to take places. Follow these top tips to help keep you and your family gas safe:
  • make sure only a Gas Safe registered engineer works on your gas appliances. Illegal gas fitters can put your life at risk
  • always check the engineer's Gas Safe Register ID card
  • make sure gas appliances have a regular service and a gas safety check every 12 months
  • look out for warning signs that your gas appliances aren’t working correctly e.g. lazy yellow or orange flames instead of crisp blue ones, black marks on or around the appliance and too much condensation in the room
  • know the signs and symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning – headaches, dizziness, breathlessness, nausea, collapse and loss of consciousness
  • install an audible carbon monoxide alarm
  • if you smell gas call the gas emergency number on 0800 111 999

For gas safety advice or to find and check an engineer visit the Gas Safe Register website at www.GasSafeRegister.co.uk. Alternatively call the free helpline on 0800 408 5500.


Leaseholders who are letting out their property should note that it is a legal requirement to have any gas appliances checked at least once every 12 months. EastendHomes' contractors offer a competitive rate for gas servicing cover. Visit the useful information page of our leaseholders section for more details.

See our Gas Safety leaflet [pdf] 7MB for more information on this topic.

Electrical Safety

If you are a tenant, we will carry out regular checks to make sure that the electrical service to your home is in safe condition. Please make sure that you work with our staff and contractors to provide access for these checks which help to keep you safe.

This infographic [pdf] 1MB gives some more detail on the importance of electrical servicing.

Do you know if the electrical products in your home are safe? Faulty appliances are a major cause of household fires in the UK. 

Appliances should not be left on overnight or when you leave the house (unless they are specifically designed to do so, such as fridge-freezers). 

You can also check if there are any product safety warnings or recall notices against your electrical appliances by registering your appliances with the AMDEA (Association of Manufacturers of Domestic Appliances), who will inform you of any updates you need to know about.

Electrical Safety First also provide a product checker. You should also use their appliance checker (below) to make sure that you are not overloading your sockets when using a 'gang' socket or extension lead. 

 

The Socket Calculator has been brought to you by Electrical Safety First.

For more safety information visit https://www.electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk