Fire safety and housing

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Juliana Melton
6 years ago
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1 Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us Fire safety and housing

Fire safety in housing Culmination of series of Seminars with CIH, WMFS and CFOA 2009-2011 CIH practice brief June 2011: illustrated what is going on in practice: focus on partnerships

2 Fire safety in housing Culmination of series of Seminars with CIH, WMFS and CFOA CIH practice brief June 2011: illustrated what is going on in practice: focus on partnerships and communities Prepared ground for Local Government Group technical guidance on fire safety in purpose built blocks of flats Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us 2

3 What came up at the road-shows? Problems with risk assessments I ve done a risk assessment but how do I know if it s any good? I ve got a risk assessor, but how do I know he or she has done it properly? Problems understanding tenants I don t know if my tenants know what to do in the event of a fire? I don t know who lives in our properties? I don t know what has been done inside the homes of multi-occupancy dwellings? Problems with housing management On a day to day basis residents keep parking scooters, paper boxes, bikes, etc in halls and that s hard to manage Fire safety has never been something my tenant s have talked about? Problems with partnerships I don t engage with my local Fire Authority I don t create opportunities to get my local Fire Authority to engage with my tenants Fire Authorities seen in enforcement role only Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us 3

4 FRAs: their views Progress in the social rented sector also: as a % sector house fires have decreased from 42.5% in 2005/6 to 28.7% in 2010/11 The growing role of the private rented sector in UK housing solutions (progress has been static in the private rented sector in terms of fire safety) Growing fuel poverty and overcrowding in response to wider economic pressures An aging population and increase in the number of frail elderly people Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us 4

5 FRAs: their views. Illegal accommodation in the private sector (e.g. beds in sheds and accommodation over industrial units Degradation of the existing building stock and properties built in the 1960s and 1970s age Concerns about some aspects of modern methods of construction (e.g. some timber framed buildings and they way they are constructed). Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us 5

Frances Kirkham recommendations Tenants lack knowledge about what to do when there is a fire: landlords must improve fire safety awareness Government should provide guidance on when to sustain a stay

6 Frances Kirkham recommendations Tenants lack knowledge about what to do when there is a fire: landlords must improve fire safety awareness Government should provide guidance on when to sustain a stay put policy ad when to evaucate 10% sampling of flats when carrying out risk assessments Lakanal House: some Decent Homes works failed fire resistance Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us 6

7 Focus of CIH brief: partnerships not technical Landlords: responsible person Fire and rescue: advice and enforcement Tenants: Co-operation and responsibilities Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us 7

8 1. Tenants: information Staffordshire Fire Service working in partnership with Stafford and Rural Homes (SRH) The Fire Service and SRH offer every new resident a Home Fire Risk Check upon occupying a home In addition each resident is issued with a Fire Safety leaflet in the home Downloadable resources from directgov.com Glasgow Homes: website with fire links, fire-safety in every bi-annual newsletter, information in tenant handbooks Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us 8

9 2. Tenants: proactive measures Hereford & Worcester Fire Service (HWFRS) working with Worcester Community Housing (WCH) New tenants to offered a free Home Fire Safety Check as part of their tenancy agreement Housing officers highlight households at risk when doing tenancy welcome visits Many residents are older people living in supported housing Tyne and Wear: checklist for houasing officers to assess vulnerability factors: smoking, disability, children, etc Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us 9

10 3. Community North Lincolnshire Homes (NLH) works closely with the Humberside Fire Service on fire safety assessments for all sheltered schemes and other blocks of flats Flats in multi-storey blocks have been provided for Fire Service training NLH is also planning to provide a 'hazard house' to show common household fire hazards. It will be used for fire safety training of NLH staff and tenants as well as more generally by the Fire Service to educate school children and the public Worcester Community Housing: offers voids for training Southampton CC: joint training sessions in their premises with Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us 10

11 4. Partnerships Stockport Homes and Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service Regime of inspections on multi-story blocks Red box system: identify vulnerable people in highrise and share with fire service Vulnerable people referred to fire service at sign-up and they receive a home visit and fire alarms are installed Southampton CC: after Shirley Towers have introduced tenancy audits and more invasive risk assessments: going behind flat doors worked closely with tenants to build trust and well received Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us 11

12 5. The PRS Bedfordshire Borough Council developed a Good Practice Guide which contains information private landlords and tenants of rented accommodation need to know about safety standards that apply to all rented housing All landlords and letting agents involved in the private rented sector have access to this guide Council have also facilitated fire safety workshops PRS will play a greater role in housing vulnerable people post Localism Bill Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us 12

13 6. Specific interventions Worcester Community Housing Worked with Hereford and Worcester Fire Service to install sprinklers in the flat of one tenant found with multiple cigarette burns around her furniture Fitted a heat detector on hob of one tenant who caused fires and smoke damage to her kitchen Welsh Government: from September 2013 new homes and conversions must have sprinklers Scotland: sprinklers in new and refurbished carehomes and tower blocks over 18 metres high Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us 13

14 7. Retro-fitting sprinklers Some FRAs championing this approach 60% of fire casualties have physical or learning disabilities which impede escape: sprinklers virtually eliminate fire death and reduce property damage by 90% SYHA have selectively installed domestic sprinklers: cost savings in terms of fire doors, better use of internal space and more flexible use of buildings Sheffield Council retro-fitted 47-home tower block in 2011 at cost of 55,000 ( 1,150 per home) Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us 14

15 Checklist Identify a person (persons) in your organisation with responsibility for ensuring compliance with the Regulatory Reform Order and for assessing fire risk A comprehensive risk assessment should identify fire hazards, identify people at risk, remove, reduce and protect from risk, provide information to plan and train to minimise risk and should be continuously reviewed Place fire safety information into all tenancy handbooks or tenancy start-up packs Liaise with your local Fire and Rescue Service to raise awareness of fire safety in the communities with which you work and to offer free home fire risk assessments Consider making a requirement for all existing and new tenants to agree to have a free Home Fire Safety Check as part of their tenancy agreement In blocks of flats or maisonettes make sure all residents are aware of appropriate action to be taken in the event of fire Take particular care to make sure residents whose first language is not English have access to clear and understandable fire safety information Fully assess and respond to the needs of vulnerable residents in relation to fire safety Consider installing domestic and residential sprinklers into homes Know your tenants Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us 15

16 Finding out more Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) risk based evaluation tool from: nce Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order A short guide to making your premises safe from fire from: You can download a copy of the National Fire Safety Protocol from: LACORS fire safety in residential accommodation guidance from: Fire Safety Risk Assessment - Sleeping Accommodation guidance from: Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us 16

Fire safety: what s next? Jan Taranczuk CIHCM June 2018

Fire safety: what s next? Jan Taranczuk CIHCM June 2018 A presentation in 2 parts! First part of the presentation shares what a London Borough was doing prior to Grenfell Second part is about all of us