You should not store flammable materials in lofts or cupboards that are near heat sources, such as gas-fired boilers, hot water cylinders, solar PV panel inverters, ventilation equipment, and ducting pipes or tubes. 

Key safety instructions: 

• Clear area: Ensure that all flammable items are moved away from the appliances we have listed above. Common flammable items are boxes, paper, cardboard and books, etc). 

• Safe distancing: Make sure that safe distances are maintained around all equipment, with clear access always prioritised. This includes not placing objects on against these appliances. 

• Tidiness: You should ensure the area is tidy and nothing is left on any of your appliances. 

• Insulation: Ensure that damaged or disturbed insulation is replaced. 

• Flammables: Any flammable items found near appliances will need to be removed. These items should not be stored in cupboards and especially not near to cylinders or fuse boards. 

Highly poisonous to people and animals, Carbon Monoxide is difficult to recognise because it has no colour, smell, or taste.  

Learning to identify the danger signs such as stains, soot, or discolouring around the top of a gas fire or at the top of a gas water heater or boiler, is crucial to your safety.  

A conventional gas appliance should have a normal blue flame – not yellow or orange.  

Our homes are all equipped with carbon monoxide detectors to alert you if there is a leak.  If this activates and is constantly sounding, please urgently call the National Gas Emergency number on 0800 111 999 and then contact us with the reference number you have been given. 

Carbon monoxide poisoning symptoms: 

• Unexplained headaches   

• Chest pains   

• Muscular weakness   

• Sickness   

• Diarrhoea   

• Stomach pains   

• Sudden dizziness when standing up   

• General lethargy   

We are aware of potentially dangerous trends on social media regarding keeping gas hobs clean by using aluminium foil gas burner covers and standard issue kitchen foil. 

Please do not do this. They can restrict the airflow and lead to the release of Carbon Monoxide (CO), which is not detectable and often referred to as a silent killer. 

Using them may not only result in Carbon Monoxide poisoning, but also overheating of the surface of the cooker – making it a potential fire hazard. 

According to the Office for National Statistics, there’s an average of more than 60 deaths every year in England and Wales due to accidental exposure to CO. 

Your home should have a working CO alarm. It’s important you test this weekly, by using the push button test function, just like your smoke alarm.

If your alarm doesn’t work when tested, please contact us by calling 0333 240 4444. 

Please be aware that safety checks at your home are essential – and need to be carried out once a year. 

Should these checks not be carried out, or if they are delayed, this could put you, your family, and your neighbours at risk. 

The Freebridge team who carry out these safety checks are trained professionals. They are also here to protect you and your community. 

For clarity, our team will not: 

• Ask for any tenancy details or personal information. 

• Speak to you about any issues you may have with rent arrears or service charges 

• Discuss any open complaints or court proceedings 

The team are non-judgemental and will endeavour to complete their checks as soon as they possibly can to reduce any inconvenience to you. 

With the above in mind, should you be contacted by use regarding a safety check, please do arrange an appointment as soon as you can – and do your best to keep your booking. 

Should you need to change any booked appointment, please call our CX Team on 0333 240 4444 and we’ll do our best to rearrange to a more appropriate time for you. 

Customers who live in blocks of flats or our sheltered schemes may have a fire door dependent on where they are in the building and how the building in laid out.

These doors save lives when there is a fire, as they prevent it from quickly spreading. 

It is vitally important that you never tamper with a fire door, and that report any faults or issues with them immediately.

You should do this by calling 0333 240 4444 and speaking to our CX Team. 

Customers who live in blocks of flats or our sheltered schemes will have what is called a ‘protected escape route’ – which is a route out of your home that will keep you and your neighbours safe, usually for up to 60 minutes. 

This is achieved by using fire resistant materials such as bricks, fire doors and walls, which will keep the fire contained.  

Sometimes above ceilings, there is a requirement to have areas compartmentalised - and these areas should not be tampered with.

It’s vital that all corridors and stair wells are kept clear of rubbish, to eliminate the risk of fire, prevent any trip hazards, and to give the emergency services space to work in if there is a fire.  

It is vitally important to keep the risk of a fire within your home as low as possible.

You can click here for helpful fire safety advice from Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service. 

Devices such as mobile phones, tablets, e-scooters, cordless tools, toys, and other rechargeable products can pose a fire risk if not used or charged correctly. 

Be careful to avoid charging these items overnight or when unattended.

Please do take the time to watch the video (linked below) by Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service and Fire Chief Global. 

It uses real-life examples and highlights the potential dangers surrounding lithium ion batteries, as well as suggestion simple changes you can make to keep you and your family safe. 

Click here to watch the video.

Be aware that mobility scooters and e-bikes contain powerful batteries. If they are not stored or charged correctly, both can pose a significant fire risk.  

If stored in communal areas, they can pose a risk to blocking escape routes - even when they are not involved in a fire. Advice is to not store in communal spaces.

Fires involving mobility scooters and e-bikes can spread quickly and put lives at risk, especially in buildings with multiple occupants or limited escape routes.  

Any type of portable heater can start a fire if it is misused. Be sure to read and understand the manufacturer's instructions before using one. 

You should always:  

• Turn off portable heaters before going to bed 

• Follow the manufacturer's operating and maintenance instructions 

• Keep the heater clean and well maintained 

• Ventilate the room in which the heater is being used 

• Make sure that a permanent safety guard is fitted 

You should never: 

• Move a heater while it is alight or switched on 

• Stand or sit too close, your clothing may ignite 

• Place a heater too close to furniture, bedding or curtains 

• Air or dry clothes over a heater 

• Place heaters where they are likely to be knocked over 

• Leave a portable heater on if young children or animals are left unattended 

• Use flammable adhesives, cleaning fluids or aerosol sprays near a heater 

If you smell gas or think there is a leak, please immediately phone the National Gas Emergency number on 0800 111 999 and then notify Freebridge with the reference number you have been given.   

If you have a leak, do not do any of the following nearby: 

• Smoke 

• Set anything on fire 

• Do anything that may spark and/or ignite (includes touching light switches, lighters or cooker ignitions) 

• Use a mobile phone 

As a responsible landlord, Freebridge carry out an annual safety inspection of heating appliances within your home. This is to make sure they are safe for you and your family to use. The service includes gas appliances, flues and pipework, oil fired appliances and tanks, solid fuel burning appliances and open fires, air source heat pumps, and unvented cylinders.  

By law, Freebridge must carry out an electrical test every five years in our rented properties. This is for your own safety and to highlight any faults which could lead to an electrical fire.

Banned since 1999, Asbestos is a building material which had previously been used. 

What that means is, if your home was built before the year 2000, there is a chance it may have been used in your home.   

When left undisturbed and in good condition, most asbestos containing materials are not dangerous. However, the threat from asbestos comes from inhaling airborne fibres when they are disturbed (for example, when doing DIY).  

It is Freebridge’s responsibility to deal with any asbestos that is found in your home - but that does not mean we will automatically take it out. Sometimes the removal process has more risk than leaving the asbestos where it is, but we may remove it when we do home improvements.  

As standard, any exposure to asbestos should be avoided. However, that does not mean that you should necessarily worry about a one-off exposure. 

Please call us on 0333 240 4444 if you find damaged or broken material that you think may contain asbestos.

Freebridge will carry out annual safety inspections on your oil tank. It is very that important this inspection takes place and there is oil in the tank. 

Please also note that all heating oil delivery drivers are required to inspect the condition of an oil tank before delivering the oil. 

Before ordering your heating oil, please check your oil tank for any signs of damage, such as cracking. If you do see any signs of damage, please contact our CX Team on 0333 240 4444.

Maintaining a clean water supply is essential for good health.  

It is, however, normal for water systems to contain some bacteria. But, if conditions allow them to multiply, then they can occasionally pose a risk to your health.  

The most common bacteria is Legionella, which can cause illness (Legionnaires’ disease).  

Please know that the risk of Legionella posing a threat in your home is very low as water is generally stored and used in such a way that bacteria does not manage to grow to dangerous levels.