Safety

Gas: Top tips to stay safe

25 September 2017 0 Comments

Gas Safety Week has ended but remember these six simple steps to help keep you safe and warm in your home:

  1. Only use a Gas Safe registered engineer to fit, fix and service your appliances.
    You can find and check an engineer at GasSafeRegister.co.uk (check out our graphic below) or call 0800 408 5500.
  2. Check both sides of your engineer’s Gas Safe Register ID card. Make sure they are qualified for the work you need doing. You can find this information on the back of the card.
  3. Have all your gas appliances regularly serviced and safety checked every year.
    If you rent your home ask for a copy of the landlord’s current Gas Safety Record.
  4. Fit an audible carbon monoxide alarm. This will alert you if there is carbon monoxide in your home.
  5. Know the six signs of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning – headaches, dizziness, breathlessness, nausea, collapse and loss of consciousness. Unsafe gas appliances can put you at risk of CO poisoning, gas leaks, fires and explosions.
  6. Check gas appliances for warning signs that they are not working properly e.g. lazy yellow flames instead of crisp blue ones, black marks or stains on or around the appliance and too much condensation in the room.

How to find a Gas Safe registered engineer

  1. Go to gassaferegister.co.uk
  2. Select Find an Engineer from the menu at the top
    Enter your postcode
  3. Check the business has an engineer qualified to work on your appliance
  4. Call 3 or 4 businesses to get the best price and check availability

To find this information in future go to Local Information > Safety and Security > Gas Safety

Consumer, Gas Safety, News, Safety

Seek professional advice around pest control

24 September 2017 0 Comments

Kent Fire and Rescue LogoKent Fire and Rescue Service was called to a family home in Bowens Field, Ashford where one of the occupants had tried to remove a wasps nest by burning it. The wasp nest was in ivy growing close to the house – however the burning got out of control and set fire to the ivy before spreading to the roof of the property. KFRS was called and when crews arrived they found all occupants of the property safely outside. They used a hose reel jet to extinguish the small fire and checked for hot spots with a thermal imaging camera. The fire caused a small amount of damage to the ivy growth and the soffit and facia of the roof of the property. The cause was accidental. There were no reported injuries.

Firefighters have urged property owners to always seek professional advice around pest control and to never attempt to burn anything or use naked flames close to their property.

Kent Fire and Rescue Service 23 September 2017
www.kent.fire-uk.org/news/incidents/?entryid2=13848

Ashford Borough Council advice regarding pest control can be found on their website at www.ashford.gov.uk/the-environment/pest-control/

Environment, News, Safety

Please leave space for engines

21 September 2017 0 Comments

Ashford firefighters are reminding people to ensure there is space to allow fire engines through.

This follows an emergency call to Cudworth Road, Ashford after a summer house caught alight during the early hours of this morning (Thursday, 21 September).

Firefighters were called at 3.52am and a fire engine raced to the scene but struggled to get down part of Cudworth Road, due to insufficient space between vehicles parked either side.

Ashford Crew Manager, Andy Harris explained what happened: “We had to keep sounding the siren to alert residents and, fortunately we still managed to reach the house within eight minutes. But in an emergency, every second counts and a delay preventing our crews from reaching someone in danger could make all the difference.”

Once at the property, fire crews used a hose reel to extinguish the blaze, which severely damaged a summer house in the back garden. Firefighters left the scene around 5am.

Andy added: “We appreciate that parking can be tight and that people like to park as close as possible to their homes, but a fire engine needs a gap of at least 3.1m (10ft) to get through – please keep that in mind when you’re parking. It could be your house we’re trying to reach.”

Kent Fire and Rescue Service 21 September 2017
www.kent.fire-uk.org/news/news-releases/september-2017/please-leave-space-for-engines-to-get-through-urge-firefighters/

News, Safety, Transport

KFRS: High-rise update

8 August 2017 0 Comments

Kent Fire and Rescue LogoFollowing the tragic fire at Grenfell Tower in London, Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) began a programme of visits, to provide reassurance to residents living in high rise properties in Kent and Medway.

KFRS has already completed visits to all of the residential buildings of ten floors or above to carry out routine fire safety inspections and review firefighting plans for each building. We will have completed visits to residential blocks of six floors and above by mid-August. Each visit has been conducted by members of KFRS operational crews, alongside specialists from the community and business safety teams.

KFRS staff have also been offering reassurance to residents in the flats and encouraging them to make sure that they are familiar with fire safety procedures and evacuation plans for their own building. Our community safety team have also been on hand to carry out home safety checks of people’s own homes, as an extra reassurance and have handed out leaflets with safety advice, including in other languages.

In the next phase KFRS will continue this work with non-residential high rise premises such as offices, hotels and other commercial buildings.

Cladding
There is a national process of testing cladding on high-rise properties commissioned by the DCLG (Department of Communities and Local Government). Should there be an issue, the local authority or building owner will be notified and local fire and rescue services will also be asked to do a safety visit. So far (4.8.17) KFRS has received no notification that any of the high-rise buildings in Kent and Medway are among those identified with concerns about the cladding.

Kent Fire and Rescue Service 4 August 2017
http://www.kent.fire-uk.org/news/news-releases/august-2017/high-rise-update/

News, Safety