Safety information for students
Fire safety
Shared houses have a much greater risk of fire, caused either by kitchen fires or fires started in individual rooms from things like candles, oil burners or heaters.
Candles
In the first nine months of 1997 there were 55 injuries and two deaths caused by fires involving candles in Greater Manchester.
If you want to use candles in your house you should minimise the risks by following the advice of the Greater Manchester County Fire Service:
- Make sure that your house is fitted with smoke detectors that work
- Place candles on flat, safe surfaces
- Make sure that all candles are completely extinguished before leaving the room or going to sleep
- Never place candles near curtains
- Strong colours and fragrances can make candles more flammable
Furniture
All furniture supplied in the course of letting any accommodation containing upholstery must comply with the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988.
Furniture affected by this rule includes:
- New, second-hand and re-upholstered suites
- Beds and headboards
- Mattresses
- Futons
- Cushions
Upholstered furniture should be flame retardant. Furniture such as sofas, chairs, sofa-beds, and cushions need to be labelled with the following information if they were made after 1950.
CARELESSNESS CAUSES FIRE
- Manufacturer's name
- Batch number or ID number
- Date of manufacture
- Description of filling and covering
- Whether there is an interliner
Beds are different in that labelling was never compulsory, but some manufacturers do add a label stating that the bed or upholstered base comply with British Standard BS7177.
If you have any doubts about the furniture in your house question the landlord, they must provide furniture which complies with the regulations. Alternatively, contact Salford Trading Standards who can enforce the regulations.
Electrical appliances
It is the landlord's responsibility to maintain installations for electricity supply including electrical sockets and wiring.
Danger signs include:
- Switches that give off sparks
- Frayed insulation
- Plugs that heat up
- Never overload sockets with lots of adaptors
All electrical equipment must be supplied to you in a safe condition. For example, all portable electrical equipment must be fitted with three-pin plugs which have sheaths on the live and neutral pins.
The mains cable must have two layers of insulation, be free of any kinks, any joints must be properly made, and the wires should follow the colour code:
| Green and yellow | Earth |
| Blue | Neutral |
| Brown | Live |
You should not be able to touch any live parts without the use of a tool.
Gas appliances (including gas fires, boilers, water heaters, etc.)
All gas appliances must be serviced once a year by a CORGI (Council of Registered Gas Installers) registered installer.
Your landlord is required by law to make sure that all gas installations such as fires, boilers and flues are professionally installed, well maintained, safe and serviced annually by a British Gas or CORGI registered engineer.
Insist that you are shown gas safety certificates as evidence that this has been done. Landlords are required to keep a record of services to show to tenants on request.
Gas cookers must have:
- easily readable markings
- name of manufacturer
- adequate pan supports
- an instruction booklet
- easy to operate controls
- prompt ignition
Do not use any gas appliance that has not been serviced annually and that you know or suspect to be unsafe. The city council in the case of student accommodation wishes to assist in helping students secure that gas appliances are safe to use.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) should be contacted where there is evidence of non-compliance with the statutory duties of landlords. You may wish to contact them direct on the Gas Safety Advice Line 0800 300 363 if you want to help in cases of gas servicing and the law.
Gas leaks
Leaking gas is a fire hazard. If you smell gas:
- contact British Gas immediately.
- turn off the supply at the main meter
- open windows
- do not switch anything electrical on or off, including lights.
Carbon monoxideBadly maintained gas appliances have killed students by carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning.
Carbon monoxide is created when the combustion of fuel is incomplete. You will not be able to smell or taste this gas.
Danger signs on the appliances might include:
- Soot or sooty smell
- A yellow or orange flame instead of blue
- Scorch marks on any part of the appliance
- Brown or black discoloration of burners
- Cracked, damaged or blocked flues through which gas could escape
- Pilot lights that frequently go out
- Blocked ventilation
- Excessive condensation
Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include:
- Drowsiness
- Headaches
- Dizzy feeling on standing up
- Feeling sick
- Chest pains
- Tiredness, palpitations, diarrhoea and stomach pains
- Unconsciousness
If you are worried that a gas appliance is unsafe
- Stop using it
- Turn off the gas supply
- Ventilate the room
- Contact your landlord or British Gas
More information
For more information, contact us at:
Trading Standards Service
Turnpike House
631 Eccles
New Road
Salford
M50 1SW
Email: env.consumer.advice@salford.gov.uk
Opening hours: Monday - Friday 8.30am - 4.30pm
This page was last updated on 27 October 2008
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