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 Safety
is very important when it comes to choosing your home and living
in it. We have provided a list of questions you should ask yourself
when looking at possible places to help you determine if the place
you’re looking at is really where you want to live. We’ve also included
information on safety issues that you should be aware of. Some of
the information contained has been provided by the National Union
of Students (NUS). If you require further information, contact them
directly.
This section addresses safety issues in relation
to:
The Neighbourhood
The Building and Its Surroundings
 Structural
Safety
Security
Furniture
and Furnishings
Other People
Environmental Hazards/Health
and Safety
Fire
and Gas Safety
Carbon
Monoxide Poisoning
Preventing
CO Poisoning
Hygiene
Vermin
Useful Contacts &
Links
The Neighbourhood
Limited finances as a student means you are not able to choose the
best neighbourhoods to live in but some are worse than others.
Will your journey to and from classes be relatively
safe?
Are there any known danger areas you’ll have to pass through on
a regular basis?
Are the routes well lit at night?
Is it a “high-crime” area?
There are some types of establishments you may
not want to live too close to such as pubs, betting shops and transients’
shelters.
The Building and Its
Surroundings
Does your gut feeling tell you something?
Does something not look right?
Are there adequate locks on doors and windows?
Do you feel less secure in a ground floor or basement room?
Are there fences to deter intruders and opportunistic criminals?
Structural Safety
There should be no major defects - such as holes and large cracks
- in walls and ceilings. Floors should be stable and free from trip
hazards.
Security (Information
provided by NUS)
In some areas where there is a high concentration of students living
in the private rented sector, properties have been targeted by burglars.
As a consequence, students wanting to insure their possessions may
find that the part of a town or city in which they are living will
become a key factor in how much cover will cost them.
In order to help prevent the risk of theft from
a student house these are some of the precautions that the residents
can take:
ensure
that proper locks are fitted on doors and windows (ie. deadlocks
and key-operated locks). Yale-style cylinder rim-locks alone are
insufficient, and should always be supplemented by a five-lever
mortise lock;
ensure
that doors and windows are locked at appropriate times;
don't
"advertise" the fact that the property contains valuables by displaying
them in the window (eg. keep computer screens hidden when not in
use);
seek
information from the local crime prevention officer;
if
you take out contents insurance, adhere to the company's terms.
Furniture and Furnishings
(Information provided by NUS)
The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire Safety) Regulations 1988 require
landlords to ensure that all furniture and furnishings they supply
to new tenants comply with the following: manufactured using fire
resistant materials; cigarette resistant; displays a label stating
that it meets safety standards.
However, NUS's most recent edition of the Accommodation
Costs Survey suggested that a very large number of landlords may
not be able to prove that they comply with these.
Although it is not always easy for tenants to
check whether these regulations have been adhered to, if they have
any doubts they should contact the local Trading Standards Department
(usually based in the Town Hall). The Department of Trade and Industry
has also produced a helpful publication entitled A Guide to the
Furniture and Furnishings (Fire Safety) Regulations, copies of which
are available from the TSD.
Other People
Even if you practice great caution, the behaviour and action of
others may put you at great risk. If you are in shared accommodation,
make sure it’s with those who are aware of their individual and
collective responsibility.
Are the other people in the house/flat safety
conscious?
Will your self and your possessions be at risk from the careless
behaviour of others?
Who comes and goes from the house/flat? Is it a free-for-all? Are
there rules regarding visitors?
If you should find yourself in trouble, will anybody know or care?
REMEMBER: Criminals target students’
homes because they are aware of the chaotic nature of student lifestyles
(multiple occupants, many visitors and the general “open” nature
of many homes). Don’t make it easy for them.
Environmental Hazards/Health
and Safety
In addition to personal security, there are other health and safety
concerns you should be aware of.
Fire and Gas Safety
Are the electrical equipment old or worn? Signs include sparks from
plugs and switches, plugs that feel hot and electrical chords with
frayed or damaged ends and bare wires.
Have appliances been serviced recently?
This is important in order to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning
as well as gas poisoning. If you live in private rented accommodation,
the landlord has a legal obligation to ensure that all gas appliances
are inspected by a registered CORGI engineer once a year and to
provide tenants with a certificate.
Are there careless smokers in the house/flat?
Are there smoke detectors?
Fire Safety (Information provided
by NUS)
The majority of people who die as a result of a house fire are killed
not by the burns received but by a combination of carbon monoxide
poisoning and asphyxiation from the lack of oxygen. For this reason
it is vital that students ensure the property they move into has
some form of smoke detection and fire alarm system. These will vary
depending upon the type of property and the dangers that are associated
with it, but as an absolute minimum smoke detectors should be fitted
in the appropriate places.
The next issue that tenants should be made aware
of is the need for a protected means of escape from fire. This should
ensure that if a fire does break out it will be confined to one
room or area for as long as it should take to evacuate the property.
In most cases this will not be immediately obvious - it can mean
the type of material used for walls and doors.
However, tenants should be advised to check to
see that fire doors have been fitted in the kitchen and that stairways
are enclosed.
The final check that new tenants should make is
for the presence of fire fighting equipment. Reputable landlords
will state what is being provided on the inventory that they give
to tenants, but the type of equipment the tenants should look out
for is a fire blanket/s in the kitchen/s and a two kilogram dry
powder fire extinguisher, for use on electrical fires. Even if a
landlord has included these on the inventory, tenants should be
advised to check that it is all in working order.
Gas Safety (Information provided
by NUS)
This issue is one of the longest ongoing campaigns in the history
of NUS. It began in 1992 with the death from carbon monoxide poisoning
of a student at Aston University. Since then a further nine students
have been the victims of this invisible, odourless and silent killer.
In an attempt to prevent yet more deaths, NUS
has produced regular briefings on the subject, as well as other
materials such as posters and postcards.
New tenants should make sure they know whether
it is they or the landlord who will pay for water charges. Whilst
many landlords will simply treat water in the same way as the other
utilities, some have been known - as a way of attracting new tenants
- to include these charges within the rent.
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Carbon monoxide poisoning can be fatal or cause permanent damage.
Carbon monoxide (CO) gas is produced as a result of the incomplete
burning of carbon fuels. It has no odour or taste and in large quantities,
can kill very quickly. You can also suffer chronic CO poisoning
and poisoning at low levels.
Any fuel-burning appliance that is not properly
maintained can be a source of CO gas:
Gas appliances - including cookers, heaters, tumble dryers and hot
water heaters
Fireplaces - wood, coal and gas
Barbecue grills, camp stoves, power tools and motor vehicle exhaust
The symptoms of CO poisoning are: headaches; dizziness,
lethargy, tiredness and nausea. One or more of these symptoms can
easily be mistaken for flu or other common illnesses. If one or
more individuals in your household suffers from these symptoms while
at home but feels fine elsewhere, s/he may be suffering from CO
poisoning.
If you think you are suffering from CO poisoning,
get out into fresh air immediately. Ventilate the premises and consult
your doctor or go to a casualty department if symptoms are serious.
Because these symptoms are so common, CO poisoning
can be misdiagnosed. If you feel CO poisoning is a strong possibility,
be assertive and tell the doctor or medical personnel of the circumstances
surrounding your illness. The only sure way to confirm CO poisoning
is a blood test.
Other danger signs include yellow or orange flame
on your cooker where they should normally be blue.
Some individuals are more vulnerable to CO poisoning.
Very young children, those with anaemia, heart and lung diseases
and the elderly are especially at risk. Pregnant women risk foetal
damage with exposure to CO.
Preventing CO Poisoning
Have appliances installed and checked only by a qualified professional.
Have appliances and chimney flue inspected by a qualified professional
on an annual basis. Never use the oven or stove to heat your home.
Never leave your car running in a closed or confined area. Ensure
your air vents are not blocked or obstructed. Do not use campstoves
or barbecue grills indoors.
You may want to have a carbon monoxide detector
in your home. These are similar to smoke detectors and give off
an audible warning when CO levels reach a dangerous level. To maximise
its effectiveness, place the detector near your sleeping area at
night.
Hygiene
Keeping clean is necessary to stay healthy. Facilities need regular
cleaning (especially kitchens and bathrooms). Unfortunately, a filthy
flatmate can make you ill. A shared fridge can be a source for food
poisoning if someone contaminates another’s food.
REMEMBER: Keep foods covered,
do not mix raw and cooked foods, and throw away anything dubious
or past their sell-by dates.
Vermin
A lot of this is down to hygiene. Vermin or pests such as mice,
rats and cockroaches can be very unpleasant and hazardous to your
health.
What is the general level of cleanliness in the
house?
A dirty house is a magnet for vermin. When inspecting accommodation,
take a discreet look in the kitchen.
Are there droppings (a sign of mice, rats or cockroaches), sticky
traps behind the stove or under the sink?
Are there gaps/holes in the floor or walls?
USEFUL CONTACTS &
LINKS
British Gas Services
Tel: 0645 605 040
Health and Safety Executive Gas Safety
Advice Line
Tel: 0800 300 363
Corgi (The Council for Registered Gas
Installers)
This is the body that ensures gas engineers are up to standard.
1 Elmwood
Chineham Business Park
Crockford Lane
Basingstoke, Hants RG24 8WG
Tel: 01256 372300
CO Gas Safety
Charity campaigning on behalf of victims of CO poisoning as well
as for improvements to gas safety regulations.
Lorien House
Common Lane
Claygate, Surrey
KT10 0HY
Tel: 01372 446 135
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