Fire safety in high rise flats

The information on this page is for people who live in the following high-rise flats:

• Ellen Court, Jarrow (12 storey building)
• Monastery Court, Jarrow (12 storey building)
• Wilkinson Court, Jarrow (12 storey building)
• Durham Court, Hebburn (18 storey building)

You need to know what to do if there's a fire in your flat, or somewhere else in your building.

If you find a fire in your flat

• Leave your flat and close the door behind you.
• Once the alarm has been activated this will sound the Fire Alarm in your property, other properties, and communal areas on the same floor.
• The Concierge will contact the Fire and Rescue Services.

If you hear the alarm in your flat

• Do not panic.
• Keep doors and windows closed.
• Go to the stairwell and make your way to the designated fire assembly point if it is safe to do so.
• The rest of the residents in the building will not hear the fire alarm. It will only sound on the floor(s) to which the original activation occurred.
• If you require assistance to evacuate the building, please go to the stairwell until assistance arrives.
• If you require assistance to evacuate your flat please ensure you have informed your Buidling Safety Officer, who will make sure arrangements are in place.

If you hear the alarm in a communal area or if you are told to evaluate

• Go at once to the designated fire assembly point or other area indicated by the Fire Officer in charge.
• Do not stop to collect your belongings.
• Do not use the lifts.
• Do not go back into the building until you are told it is safe.

If you have any queries or require further information regarding these instructions, please contact your Buidling Safety Officer.

Fire doors are specialist doors that are designed and tested to withstand the effects of fire for a specified period.

An effective fire door delays the spread of smoke and flames from one area to another.

The brushes stop the spread of smoke.

Intumescent strips, which can be found either in the door or frame expand when heated creating a seal.

The door itself will withstand fire for a minimum of 30 minutes.

You must make sure:

• Fire doors are kept shut when not in use.
• No changes are made, and the door is not tampered with in any way. This includes removing the closing device, fitting your own locks, letterbox, spyhole, or vents.

If your front door is damaged, report it immediately on 0300 123 6633.

Safety is our top priority.

These measures are in place to keep you safe:

• Evacuation assessments
  We will carry out an assessment to decide what support you might need to help you leave the building in the event of a fire. If you have an injury or illness that limits your ability to move or respond you must tell South Tyneside Homes immediately.
• Fire risk assessments
  We carry out fire risk assessments on an annual basis. An independent third-party accredited fire risk assessor conducts these assessments. If you would like a copy of the fire risk assessment, please contact your Building Safety Officer.
• Fire safety checks every day
  We carry out daily fire safety checks. We check the fire alarm panel, check doors are closed, check there's no rubbish and nothing obstructing escape routes. In addition, more evasive checks are carried out on a weekly basis any remedial works identified are logged and completed in a timely manner.
• Smoke alarms
  The smoke alarm in your flat is hard-wired, as part of a fire alarm system.
• Fire doors and fire compartmentation
  Fire doors are used throughout our buildings to slow the spread of fire (for about 30 minutes to 1 hour). Our flats are also built to slow the spread of fire from one flat to another (for about 30 minutes to 1 hour). Compartment contains and stops the spread of fire and smoke from one area to another.
• Permit to work
  A strict permit to work procedure is in place in your building. The aim of the permit to work is to ensure the compartmentation is maintained in an effective way to prevent the spread of smoke and fire. If you wish to carry out any work to your property, you must gain permission from South Tyneside Homes first. This includes satellite TV installations.
• Emergency lighting systems
  An emergency lighting system is installed throughout your buildings.
• Inspections from the fire service
  Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service carries out random unannounced inspections of all our blocks.
• Dry risers
  Our high-rise flats have dry risers. A dry riser is an empty pipe that can be connected to a pressurised water source by firefighters. These are routinely serviced.
• Building Safety Officer
  Our Building Safety Officer regularly visits, to conduct safety inspections and evacuation assessments. Please tell them if you have any issues or concerns.
• Caretakers
  Caretakers are on site daily. Please tell them if you have any issues or concerns.
• Housing Officers
  Our Housing Officers regularly visit tenants. Please tell them if you have any issues or concerns.
• Building and systems maintenance
  All systems installed within your building are maintained and serviced to the relevant legislation. If you would like additional information on the maintenance, servicing, and inspection of your building please contact South Tyneside Homes for further details.

Sprinklers

South Tyneside Homes High-rise buildings are protected with a sprinkler system.

A sprinkler will only start when the bulb (in the head of the sprinkler) reaches a temperature of around 74 degrees Celsius.

Sprinklers will not start due to smoke alone.

If one sprinkler starts, then others which are close by will also start (but not every sprinkler in the building).

Make sure that you:

• Do not paint a sprinkler head or cover the plate. This can stop the sprinkler head operating at the set temperature and possibly not work at all.
• Do not paint any exposed pipework with oil-based paint. Only water-based paint should be used when painting pipework as this does not react with the material.

Report any faults in your own flat, as well as faults or damage in communal areas.

To report a fault call 0300 123 6633 or reports can be made through the South Tyneside Homes website.

Report any changes in your circimstances

If you have an illness or injury that limits your ability to move or respond, make sure you re-evaluate your escape plan.

Plan an exacpe route

• Be prepared - make an escape plan.
• Make sure everyone in your property knows how to escape.
• Make sure exits are kept clear.
• The best route is the normal way in and out of your home.
• Take a few minutes to practice your escape plan.
• Review your plan if the layout of your home changes.
• Keep door and window keys where everyone in your home can find them.

Before you go to bed

• Make a bedtime check, you are more at risk from a fire when asleep, so it's a goodidea to check your home before you go to bed.
• Close inside doors at night to stop a fire from spreading.
• Turn off and unplug electrical appliances unless they are designed to be left on - like your freezer.
• Check your cooker is turned off.
• Do not leave the washing machine on.
• Put candles and cigarettes out properly.
• Make sure exits are kept clear.
• Keep door and window keys where everyone in your home can find them.
• Do not charge any electrical goods overnight such as mobile telephones, e-cigarettes, tablets, including batteries for e-bikes, e-scooters or mobility scooters.

In the kitchen

• Avoid leaving children in the kitchen alone when cooking on the hob. Keep matches and sauce pan handles out of their reach to keep them safe.
• Take extra care if you need to leave the kitchen while cooking, take pans off the heat or turn them down to avoid risk.
• Make sure saucepan handles don't stick out - so they don't get knocked off the stove.
• Take care if you're wearing loose clothing - they can easily catch fire.
• Keep tea towels and cloths away from the cooker and hob.
• Double check the cooker is off when you've finished cooking.
• If you have an extractor fan, please turn this on when cooking.
• Do not put anything metal in the microwave.
• Check toasters are clean and placed away from curtains and kitchen rolls.
• Keep the oven, hob and grill clean and in good working order. A build-up of fat and grease can ignite a fire.Never leave deep fat fryers or chip pans unattended when in use.

Electric blankets

• If using an electric blanket, don't leave it folded as this damages the internal wiring. Store them flat or rolled up instead.
• Unplug your blanket before you get into bed, unless it has a thermostat control for safe all-night use.
• Try not to buy second hand blankets.
• Check regularly for wear and tear.

Furniture

Always make sure that your furniture has the fire-resistant permanent label.

Oxygen users

You must inform your Building Safety Officer if you use oxygen.

Electrics

• Keep electrics (leads and appliances) away from water.
• Always check that you use the right fuse to prevent overheating.
• Make sure an electrical appliance has a British or European safety mark when you buy it.
• Check appliances against product safety recalls.
• Certain appliances, such as washing machines, should have a single plug to themselves, as they are high powered.
• Try and keep to one plug per socket.
• Keep your eyes peeled for signs of dangerous or loose wiring such as scorch marks, hot plugs and sockets, fuses that blow, circuit-breakers that trip for no obvious reasons, or flickering lights.
• Check and replace any old cables and leads, especially if they are hidden from view.
• Unplugging appliances helps reduce the risk of fire.
• Unplug appliances when you're not using them or when you go to bed.
• An extension lead or adaptor will have a limit to how many amps it can take, so be careful not to overload them.
• Only use a CE Marked charger cables for electrical devices.

Portable heaters

• Try to secure heaters up against a wall to stop them falling over.
• Keep them clear from curtains and furniture and never use them for drying clothes.
• Do not use portable gas heaters.

Smoking

• Stub cigarettes out properly and dispose of them carefully. Put them right out.
• Never smoke in bed.
• Use a proper ashtray - never a wastepaper basket.
• Make sure your ashtray can't tip over and is made of a material that won't burn.
• Do not leave a lit cigarette, cigar or pipe lying around - they can easily fall over and start a fire.
• Take extra care if you smoke when you're tired, taking prescription drugs, or if you've been drinking. You might fall asleep and set your bed or sofa on fire.
• Keep matches and lighters out of children's reach.
• Consider buying child resistant lighters and match boxes.

Lithium batteries

• Always use a charger supplied with the device or recommended by the manufacturer.
• Charge the device on a flat, solid and stable surface.
• Only charge the device for the recommended charging time and do not leave unattended - e.g. overnight while you are asleep, or if you go out.
• Keep the device away from flammable materials when charging.
• Never charge lithium batteries on your escape route. If possible, charge and store them away from your living areas.
• Avoid storing, using, or charging batteries at very high or low temperatures.
• If the device has not been used for quite some time, be extra careful when you charge it - lithium batteries do not like being discharged to a very low voltage.
• Protect batteries against being damaged - that is crushed, punctured, or immersed in water. Do not use if it looks physically damaged.
• Do not put batteries in your general rubbish bin or with other recyclable materials like card, metals and plastics.
• Recycle your batteries at:
  • Emmaus, 5 St James Mall, Hebburn, NE31 1LE
  • Jarrow Hall, Church Bank, Jarrow NE32 3DY
  • Jarrow Focus, Cambrian St, Jarrow NE32 3QN
  • Anywhere that sells batteries (places that sell batteries have a legal duty to take back old batteries from customers for recycling)

Candles

• Put candles out when you leave the room, and make sure they're put out completely at night.
• Use a snuffer or a spoon to put out candles. It's safer than blowing them out when sparks can fly.
• Children shouldn't be left alone with lit candles.
• Make sure any tea lights are kept in a suitable holder.
• Make sure candles are secured in a proper holder and away from materials that may catch fire - like curtains.

Tell us if you want to install satellite TV

• You must tell South Tyneside Homes if you are planning to have satellite TV installed.
• Our flats are built to slow the spread of fire from one flat to another (compartmentation).
• We need to make sure that the installation of satellite TV doesn't affect the fire safety in your flat.

Make sure that you do what you can to prevent a fire from starting in your home. For more information see know what to do if there's a fire and preventing a fire. 

Below are some actions you can take to keep your flat safe. 

Report repairs straight away

Report any faults in your own flat, as well as faults or damage in communal areas. 

Report a repair

Building safety

Report any building safety concerns such as water leaks, cracks in walls, damage to barriers outside the building

Keep communal doors closed

Never prop open any doors in the corridors.

These are designed to stop fire spreading along the corridor.

Keep corridors, stairs and landings clear

Do not keep furniture, motorbikes or bicycles, toys or any other large item in these areas. 

These could cause an obstruction or trip somebody up.

Keep your mobility scooter in an allocated area

Prior to purchasing a mobility scooter, you must contact your Neighbourhood Officer.

If you have a mobility scooter, keep it in an allocated area.

Don't keep or charge it in communal corridors, or in your flat. This is because they can cause an obstruction and block escape routes. 

Mobility scooters are also powered by batteries that are highly combustible.

In all our buildings, scooter chargers are required to be PAT tested.

They must be charged in the allocated area.

Keep your wheelchair in your flat or an allocated area

If you have a wheelchair, keep it in your flat or an allocated area.

Do not keep it in communal corridors.

This is because they can cause an obstruction and block escape routes.

Don't smoke in communal areas

You can smoke in your flat, or on any balcony that is only used by you or your family.

You cannot smoke in any shared part of the building. This includes:

• corridors
• stairs
• landings
• balconies
• common rooms
• laundries
• shared kitchens or toilets

It is against the law to smoke in these areas.

Dispose of your rubbish properly

• Do not leave rubbish or unwanted furniture in corridors. This is a fire hazard and could cause an obstruction or injury to someone else.
• Do not throw anything, including waste, from any balcony or window.
• Do not use the refuse chutes for anything other than general household waste. These chutes are designed for use with carrier bags or small bin liners, not large refuse sacks. Please do not try to force a large refuse bag full of waste into a chute as it will block the chute.
• Do not remove the waste chute cover.
• Do not leave the door to the waste chute room open (as these are designed to help prevent the spread of fire).

Keep the building secure

Please try and keep the building secure.

Always close the entrance door behind you, and never prop it open.

Anybody who has official business in the building will have their own key or will carry identification with them.

Always ask to see identification if somebody asks you to let them into the building.

Park considerately

Please park considerately outside the flat, in marked parking areas if possible.

Do not park in any hatched area, or directly outside any access or fire exit door.

Make sure that you leave enough space for ambulances and fire engines to get to flats and turn around.

Smoke alarms

It is extremely important that you have a working smoke alarm in your home.

Do not tamper with the smoke detectors in your home. They are there to give you an early warning in the event of a fire and could save your life.

For further advice on fire safety visit Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service. 

For further advice on fire safety visit www.twfire.gov.uk.

See other ways to contact South Tyneside Homes.

Principle Accountable Person

The Principal Accountable Person is Mr Phillip Dixon - Senior Manager:

• Address: Level 2 (Broughton Road), Town Hall & Civic Offices, Westoe Road, South Shields, NE33 2RL

Building Safety Officer

If you would like any fire or building safety information please contact the Building Safety Officer, Mr Elliott Turnbull:

• Phone: 0191 427 2469
• Address: Unit 4 Heddon Way, Middlefields Industrial Estate, South Shields, NE34 0NT

Housing Officer

If you have a Housing related inquiry or would like to report Anti Social Behavior please contact your Housing Officer:

• Phone: 0300 123 6633.