Nehemiah Housing - Staying Safe In Your Home

Staying Safe In Your Home

We want you to be safe and comfortable in your home.

When you move into your new home you will quickly discover how much thought we put into keeping you safe and comfortable, thanks to our health & safety policies.

As a guide, our advice on helping you to stay safe in your home and making you aware of your responsibilities as a tenant, is covered below:

You are responsible for testing your smoke alarm on a regular basis – we recommend once a week
Your Housing Officer can help you if you struggle to carry out the smoke alarm tests yourself
Every 6 months, lightly hoover the smoke alarm – either by opening it and hoovering around the sensor or by hoovering through the holes of the alarm
Make sure all fire exits are kept clear, including doorways, corridors and stairways
You should have an escape plan in case of emergency, and make sure everyone in your home knows it and visitors too

Be sure to place lit candles on a secure surface and away from other items
Never leave a burning candle unattended

Only ever use an ashtray and never a waste basket for the ash
Never leave lit cigarettes or pipes unattended
Never smoke in bed in case you fall asleep

We service any gas appliances in your home every year – as part of your tenancy agreement, you are required to allow us access to your home
For electrical installations we service every 5 years as standard
For new installations we service 10 years after installation
For rewires we service 10 years after rewiring

Never leave items charging under pillows or on your bed
Make sure the output voltage and ratings on the charger and your electrical device match
Once your item is charged unplug it

Nehemiah Housing are committed to advising all our residents about asbestos and if it has been identified in your home. If you are carrying out any alterations to these identified areas, or you have concerns about materials that you cannot identify in your home, please contact a member of property services department.

What is Asbestos?

Asbestos is a naturally occurring clay-like material, which consists of tiny fibres. It was once considered a very useful building product because it is fireproof, cheap and easily shaped. Therefore, it was widely used until the adverse effects of exposure to loose asbestos fibres were widely known.

Why may asbestos be a problem?

Asbestos cannot harm anybody unless they breathe in asbestos fibres. Therefore, products containing asbestos do not normally present a problem unless they become damaged and asbestos fibres are released into the air.

It is very unlikely that the levels of asbestos fibres found in a domestic building would be harmful, but if you are unsure of any suspected material, please give a member of the property services department a call on 0121 358 0966 option 3.

There are some steps you can take to prevent the build up of condensation and mould, including heating unused rooms, keeping your home well ventilated and opening windows when cooking or showering, and drying clothes outside and not on a radiator.

For more information on damp and mould in your home visit our dedicated page on the website here