How you can keep your home safe

There are many things you can do to help keep your home safe.

Fire doors  

If you live in a flat or maisonette and share a communal escape route you will have a fire-resistant entrance door.

Fire doors are installed to prevent a fire inside of a flat spreading to the common areas and escape routes within the building.

Fire doors can also stop a fire in the communal area of the building spreading into individual flats. 

Fire doors contain specific features which if become damaged or disabled will affect their performance. 

These doors are provided to keep you, your family and other residents safe.  

You should always:  

keep fire doors properly closed when not in use  
never remove or tamper with self-closing devices   
report faults or damage to fire doors immediately

Keep corridors clear

You MUST not store belongings or leave rubbish in escape routes such as stairways, corridors, or lobbies. In doing so:   

creates a fire risk 
can contribute to antisocial behaviour and theft   
can result in injuries as they are a trip hazard - this would be made far worse in the event of a fire, where smoke affects visibility  
significantly slows down the emergency services from reaching and dealing with fires
puts the lives of firefighters at much greater risk as it takes them longer to get in and out

If you need to remove any items that are too large, please visit our bulky and non-standard waste collection page.

Smoke detectors  

Smoke detectors are fitted to provide early warning in the event of fire. 

To keep your smoke alarm in good working order:  

test it once a week, or once a month as minimum, by pressing the test button until the alarm sounds
change the battery once a year (unless it's a sealed battery type)

Fire safety

The links below will take you to Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service's website, where you can find advice to help keep you and your home safe from the risks of fire.:

Electrical safety  

Don't be tempted to save money by buying cheaper electrical products online or from social media sites. They may not meet safety standards and can be a fire risk. 

Help make sure the electrical products in your home are safe by buying from reputable retailers and known brands. You can check for and sign up for product safety alerts and recalls.

Also, electricity costs the same no matter what time of day or night you use it - unless you have a time of use tariff. If possible don't run white goods and charge items while you sleep.  

You might be saving money, but you will increase the risk of fire. 

E-bikes and E-scooters fire safety guidance  

E-bikes and e-scooters are becoming increasingly popular.

Most are powered by lithium-ion batteries, which can be charged in the home.

The use of these batteries in a wide range of household products is becoming increasingly common.

It is important, when charging e-bikes and e-scooters, you do so safely to avoid a risk of a fire starting and putting your families and homes at risk.

With an increased use of e-bikes and e-scooters, comes a corresponding fire safety concern associated with their charging and storage.

The use of these products is expected to continue to rise.

Some fire services and fire investigators have seen a rise in e-bike and e-scooter battery fires.

On occasions, batteries can fail catastrophically, they can 'explode' and/or lead to a rapidly developing fire.

Charging

Follow the manufacturer's instructions when charging, and always unplug your charger when it's finished charging and do leave on charge overnight.

In the event of an e-bike, e-scooter or lithium-ion battery fire - do not attempt to extinguish the fire. Get out, stay out, call 999.

Storage

You MUST not store or charge e-bikes or e-scooters within common escape routes of multi occupied buildings. If there is a fire, it can affect people's ability to escape, putting them and you at risk.

Purchasing electrical products

Make sure the electrical products in your home are safe by buying from reputable retailers and known brands.

You can check for and sign up for product safety alerts and recalls.