Tinsley House Safety & Security

There are over 50,000 accidental fires in homes in Britain every year — that's nearly 140 a day. By taking a few simple steps and talking to your children about fire safety you could help keep your family safe.

Smoke alarms can give you the few minutes warning that could save your life; they cost from as little as £5 from most DIY stores and are easy to fit.

Choose an alarm that meets the British Standard BS5446 Part 1 and carries the Kitemark. Some councils or fire and rescue services install smoke alarms free of charge. Check with your local council or your local fire and rescue service to see if they run such a scheme.

There are smoke alarm systems fitted with vibrating pads and flashing lights for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. The pad is placed under a mattress or pillow, when smoke is detected the alarm will sound and set off the light and pad.

The Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID) produce a fact sheet on smoke alarm systems for the deaf and hard of hearing. Contact the RNID information line on 0808 808 0123 or visit the RNID website.

Universal Aids Ltd, tel: 0161 480 9228 or Summit, tel: 020 7987 9537 can offer alarms with visual or vibrating warnings. RNID website (external link)

If you are a council tenant and feel you need this kind of equipment, you may be able to have it provided and installed by your council. You will have to have an occupational health assessment with your local government sensory team. Contact your local council to find out more.

Escaping from a fire is always easier if you have a planned escape route and everyone knows what to do.

Talk to your children; let them know how to get to the escape route from each room, where door and window keys are kept, what to do if they see fire and what to do if they are cut off by fire. If an escape route is blocked, it may be safer to stay put, find a suitable room now.

If possible close the door to the fire. It will delay the spread of the fire and smoke
Touch the door with the back of your hand before opening it. Don’t open it if the door is warm—there is fire on the other side
Get everyone out as quickly as possible. DO NOT stop to pick up valuables or possessions
If there is smoke, crawl beneath it as smoke rises and the air is clearer lower down
Dial 999 and ask for the Fire Brigade from a neighbour’s phone, mobile or phone box
NEVER go back into the house unless a fire officer tells you it is safe

get everyone into the room you have chosen, ideally one with a window that opens and if possible one with a telephone
use towels and sheets to block any gaps around the door. This will slow smoke getting into your room
open the window and try to attract attention

If you are in immediate danger and your room is not above the first floor drop bedding or cushions from the window and get out feet first. Lower yourself to the full length of your arms before dropping.

Safe	&	Secure
Fire Safety	Anti Social Behaviour - external	Crimestoppers South Yorks - external
Fire Prevention - external	Government Advice - external	Safer Neighbourhood Teams
Childrens Safety	Neighbours from Hell - external	South Yorkshire Police
Accidents at home, RoSPA - external	Hate Crime & Forced Marriages	Crime Reduction Service
Food Safety - external	Community Legal Service	Secure Your Motor Vehicle
Food Standards Agency - external	Preparing for Emergencies	Crown Prosecution Service
Roads & paths - external		South Yorkshire Police Authority
Home Safety
There are over 50,000 accidental fires in homes in Britain every year — that's nearly 140 a day. By taking a few simple steps and talking to your children about fire safety you could help keep your family safe. Smoke alarms Smoke alarms can give you the few minutes warning that could save your life; they cost from as little as £5 from most DIY stores and are easy to fit. Choose an alarm that meets the British Standard BS5446 Part 1 and carries the Kitemark. Some councils or fire and rescue services install smoke alarms free of charge. Check with your local council or your local fire and rescue service to see if they run such a scheme. If you have a hearing impairment There are smoke alarm systems fitted with vibrating pads and flashing lights for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. The pad is placed under a mattress or pillow, when smoke is detected the alarm will sound and set off the light and pad. The Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID) produce a fact sheet on smoke alarm systems for the deaf and hard of hearing. Contact the RNID information line on 0808 808 0123 or visit the RNID website. Universal Aids Ltd, tel: 0161 480 9228 or Summit, tel: 020 7987 9537 can offer alarms with visual or vibrating warnings. RNID website (external link) If you are a council tenant and feel you need this kind of equipment, you may be able to have it provided and installed by your council. You will have to have an occupational health assessment with your local government sensory team. Contact your local council to find out more. Escape routes Escaping from a fire is always easier if you have a planned escape route and everyone knows what to do. Talk to your children; let them know how to get to the escape route from each room, where door and window keys are kept, what to do if they see fire and what to do if they are cut off by fire. If an escape route is blocked, it may be safer to stay put, find a suitable room now. What to do if a fire starts The main thing to do is: try not to panic. If possible close the door to the fire. It will delay the spread of the fire and smoke Touch the door with the back of your hand before opening it. Don’t open it if the door is warm—there is fire on the other side Get everyone out as quickly as possible. DO NOT stop to pick up valuables or possessions If there is smoke, crawl beneath it as smoke rises and the air is clearer lower down Dial 999 and ask for the Fire Brigade from a neighbour’s phone, mobile or phone box NEVER go back into the house unless a fire officer tells you it is safe If you are cut off by fire If you can’t get to the planned escape route or the door is blocked by fire: get everyone into the room you have chosen, ideally one with a window that opens and if possible one with a telephone use towels and sheets to block any gaps around the door. This will slow smoke getting into your room open the window and try to attract attention If you are in immediate danger and your room is not above the first floor drop bedding or cushions from the window and get out feet first. Lower yourself to the full length of your arms before dropping.
Childrens Safety
Everyday items can be harmful to children. This information gives you a good starting point but you can get more information from the links below. Every day items small watch batteries can be choked on, and the larger batteries can cause poisoning – if your child swallows or bites into a battery, call your doctor immediately keep lighters, matches, and lighter fluid out of the reach of children keep all plastic bags away from children – this includes dry cleaning, rubbish, produce, and shopping bags, as well as thin plastic wrapping that surrounds food and other goods Water never leave any bucket of water or other liquid unattended when young children are around – they love playing with water, and can easily drown by toppling into it Stay safe install a carbon monoxide alarm (available from DIY stores) on each floor of your house if you heat your home with oil or gas, or have a wood stove or fireplace install fire alarms and test them regularly Places to play remove dry cleaning bags from garments as soon as you bring them in the house. Children love to play in wardrobes and can easily smother in the bags Doors Doors fascinate children. They swing back and forth. They can be slammed and make a fabulous noise. There are hidden treasures behind doors. To prevent accidents with doors you can: use door stops for constantly used door – your child's fingers can get pinched at the hinge of the door or when the door is shut on them check bathroom doors to make sure there is an emergency release on the outside. If not either replace the knob or tape it so that your child cannot lock him – or herself in the bathroom Stairs The staircase may look ordinary to an adult but to a child it's a world of climbing adventure. make the stairs 'off limits' unless you are within inches of your child and are ready to catch them place safety (stair) gates at both the top and the bottom of stairs Windows try to avoid placing furniture right underneath a window – this is a climber's delight open your windows from the top, not the bottom, to provide ventilation fit special locks that only allow the window to be opened a short distance make a rule that children are not allowed to play next to patio doors – falling through a patio door can cause serious or even fatal injury
Home Security
If you have any information about any crime, phone 0800 555 111. Your call is FREE You do not have to give your name You may receive a reward This is the main reporting channel for non urgent crimes. Please call 999 for all emergencies. You can call Sheffield 2202020 but the system isn't very good at the moment.
'Stranger at the Door' Conference 22 Mar 2005 South Yorkshire Police Authority Meeting 14 March 2005 Tinsley Neighbourhood Watch, next meeting 6.30pm 12 January 2006. Call number below for further information We have in place the most efficient and professionally run Neighbourhood Watch group in Sheffield. Our committee meet regularly with the local co-ordinators who are responsible for one or two roads in Tinsley. All Neighbourhood Watch members receive a window sticker, advice leaflets and can give information to their local co-ordinator without fear of reprisals as the co-ordinators are well respected by the South Yorkshire Police Force. All information is treated in the strictest confidence and neighbours can contact there nearest street member or co-ordinator for comfort & safety if required. Membership, £1 annually to cover administration costs and newsletters. This more than pays for itself when you can redeem your membership for a small percentage saving on your contents insurance policy. Contact us at the National Neighbourhood Watch Website and we will put you in touch with your local Neighbourhood Watch Co-ordinator. You can also telephone 0114 244 1800. There exists a ring system so that information can be passed quickly across the City to all Co-ordinators who can then quickly pass on information to members. This can be used for a variety of purposes including rogue traders, missing children etc.
Neighbour Disputes
If you are in dispute with your neighbours, perhaps over noise or a high hedge, you may need to get your local council involved to help resolve the problem. Remember, never take the law into your own hands as there are many practical ways to tackle such disputes. Noisy neighbours It’s best to try and resolve the problem early on by talking to whoever is responsible for the noise. If the problem persists, then it’s important to establish the facts – make a record of where the noise is coming from, at what time, and if there are any particular reasons for it. Some local authorities will be able to give you a noise record sheet to note the problems. Contact your local authority (usually the environmental health department) which will give you practical advice and might suggest using Mediation UK to help resolve the dispute. If the local authority thinks the noise is a statutory nuisance, they will serve an abatement notice on the neighbour. An abatement notice will set out what is required of your neighbour. For instance, if the issue is loud music, they may be asked to stop the noise outright, or be asked to just play music between set times. In extreme cases, prosecutions can be made for anti-social behaviour, if the police have enough evidence. Find a local Mediation UK service (external link) High hedges There is no law that says how high a hedge or tree forming a boundary between houses can be, nor what kinds can be planted. It is usually the case that you can cut off roots or branches that cross your boundary, but it is best to seek advice before doing this. If you think a neighbour’s hedge or tree is damaging your property, get a professional tree consultant to advise.

Tinsley Sheffield 9 Safe & Secure