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Fire safety - general information

Prevention is the key to reducing the tragedies and hardships caused by fire. Stopping fires from starting requires the community and the fire service to work together to deliver safer communities.

For more information about fire safety, please use the external links.

Empty properties

• Empty properties are a magnet for youths, drug takers and homeless people who often light fires inside to keep warm, often leading to the property catching fire
• Ensure that any void property notified to you is secured as soon as possible

Rubbish skips and wheelie bins

• Place skips at least 10 metres from buildings
• Ensure that rubbish is place in the skip and not left on the ground nearby
• Waste packing and pallets should be removed as soon as possible
• Full skips should be removed as soon as possible
• Do not leave full skips over weekends or holiday periods
• Do not block fire exits
• Ensure skips are placed in a designated area
• Do not store combustible waste within 2 metres of any perimeter fences
• Fires in wheelie bins can spread to surrounding property
• Do not overfill wheelie bins or place loose rubbish around them
• Wheelie bins should only be put out when a collection is due

Vehicles

• 65% of car fires are started deliberately to cover criminal activity, to make a fraudulent insurance claim or as an act of vandalism
• One in 12 reported stolen vehicles will be set on fire
• Many other vehicle fires break out simply due to lack of basic maintenance and can be prevented
• Emphasis should be placed on security of vehicle and safe parking
• Report abandoned vehicles to the police. Most Metropolitan areas operate a vehicle removal scheme

Remeber the following safety checks as well:

• Electrical - check wiring for signs of wear or damage
• Petrol - routinely check all fuel lines for signs of wear
• Welding - never use heat, naked flames or welding equipment near the fuel tank or fuel lines

Advice for businesses

• Make sure your fire alarm is tested weekly
• Inform your staff of what to do in the event of a fire, make sure they are familiar with the evacuation drill and escape routes for the building
• Make sure you carry out a continuous Fire Risk assessment of your building
• Never obstruct sprinkler heads and fire detectors
• Unsafe storage of waste packaging and pallets is a fire risk, never leave waste containers close to buildings
• Guard all sources of ignition
• Ensure that Flammable Liquids are stored safely
• Make sure that machinery and equipment is maintained