We were all been shocked and deeply saddened by the fire and loss of life at Grenfell Tower. We carry out regular fire safety checks on all our buildings but since Grenfell we have taken additional measures to ensure residents are safe in their own home.
What have we done since the Grenfell Tower fire?
All the buildings we manage have been risk assessed by an external specialist contractor and, as an extra precaution, we are carrying out extra fire-safety inspections.
Importantly, we have removed the cladding from the three buildings that were at risk and we have also established that those buildings with brick or rendered concrete on the outside are not a concern; this is the vast majority of the buildings we manage.
Things you can do to ensure your own safety
There is a lot residents can do to reduce the chance of fire in their building. We have produced a fire safety booklet and information about our fire safety programme and further safety tips can be found here on our website.
In particular we are asking residents to:
- Test smoke alarms on a regular basis.
- Dispose of rubbish properly. When our staff see anything in shared areas that could present a serious fire hazard – such as buggies or bicycles – they may remove the items without notice.
- Take care when cooking with oil and don’t leave cooking unattended.
- Don’t light candles or cook using a BBQ on balconies, landings, in corridors or shared areas.
- Don’t throw rubbish or cigarettes out of windows. This just provides fuel for a fire.
If you are a leaseholder, you should ensure you are complying with all fire regulations.
Report anything you think might be a fire hazard
We are asking residents to report anything they see that they think might be a fire hazard. Together we can make our homes a safer place to live.
If you have any questions or concerns please contact our Housing Management team on 0800 028 2 028 or email housingmanagement@lewishamhomes.org.uk.