Student fire safety advice
London Fire Consultants have recently been undertaking Fire Risk Assessments of various student accommodation across London and Portsmouth. Students and their parents are urged to be aware of the dangers of fire. Fire safety advice could be one of the most important lessons for students during their time at university or college.
Living away from home, especially if it's for the first time, can be very exciting and it's easy to get caught up in student life and forget about fire safety.
As parents inspect student accommodation to make sure it’s suitable, they should also:
make sure that premises are fire safe
remind their children that fire safety checks should always be part of their routine
All students should take personal responsibility for looking after themselves and their housemates to protect them from the dangers of fire.
It's important to have a working smoke alarm fitted on each level of accommodation and to test them once a week. This will alert students and their housemates to the earliest stage of a fire, giving vital extra time to escape.
Students should follow a good fire safe bedtime routine – checking a few things before going to bed can reduce the risk of fire. It only takes a minute and could save lives.
Also, take some time to agree a fire escape plan to make sure everyone is clear what to do in the event of an emergency. This means knowing where the fire exits are and making sure furniture or stored items do not block them.
If there is no fire exit, plan an alternative escape route other than by the main entrance door.
A lot of students go home at weekends, so they should make sure that accommodation is safely secured and protected from the risk of fire. Make sure all electrical appliances not designed to be left on are disconnected, fully put out cigarettes, and close all doors.
Students should:
test their smoke alarm every week
prepare a fire escape plan
carry out a night-time check
turn off all electrical appliances not designed to be left on
put a guard on open fires
put out all cigarettes and empty ashtrays into a non-combustible container
put out all candles
close all internal doors
don't leave cooking unattended
not cook when under the influence of alcohol
Students should also check that the fire alarm system in their accommodation is working. If it is showing a fault, contact the landlord or the Estates Officer at the university immediately.