Home safety

More accidents happen in the home than anywhere else. More accidents happen at home than anywhere else (Source: RoSPA). You must be aware of the dangers at all times and take responsibility for them.

Electricity

We are responsible for ensuring that the electrical installation in your Council home is in a safe working condition. To help us, we employ an electrical contractor to undertake day-to-day repairs, provide an emergency repairs service and complete a programme of electrical safety inspections.

The frequency of test and inspection is nominally every five years which we consider to be the maximum period even after a re-wire.

If possible during the inspection, the contractor is authorised to undertake remedial works to make safe and minimise return visits.

Following inspections, works are planned accordingly. These may be upgrades to the installation, minor refurbishments, programming for a future re-wire or the recommendation for a re-test earlier than five years’ time.

If you discover a problem with your electrical installation, call 01283 595795 during office hours or email housing.repairs@southderbyshire.gov.uk. If it is an emergency out of hours, please call 01332 912642.

If our electrical contractor is called out to a problem with the electrical installations and it is due to a fault on your appliance, you will be recharged for the costs incurred.

Servicing/maintenance of heating appliances

Our heating contractors carry out annual safety checks on all of our gas, solid fuel, biomass, air source or ground source systems, including chimney sweeping. They provide a day-to-day repairs and maintenance service including emergency call-outs. They also undertake an annual test and exterior clean of our non-system smoke, heat and CO2 alarms.

If your heating appliance has not been serviced within the last 12 months, contact the Repairs Team. 

Gas safety

We have a legal responsibility to ensure that gas installations in our domestic rented properties are safe by carrying out an Annual Gas Safety Check.

We're obliged to keep a record of the gas safety checks for at least two years and issue them to our existing tenants following an inspection or to any new tenants following a new tenancy safety check.

Gas cookers

We do not own any of the gas cookers in domestic properties however, a visual test is undertaken during the Annual Gas Safety Check. If the cooker is faulty, the gas engineer will inform you either that the cooker must be isolated or the entire gas supply will be shut off.

Gas leaks

If you suspect that you have a gas leak, make sure you:

  1. put out all naked flames, including cigarettes
  2. turn off the gas at the emergency control valve located by the meter
  3. open doors or windows
  4. do not turn any electrical switches on or off
  5. do not use a door entry system
  6. turn off mobile phones
  7. vacate the property
  8. telephone the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111999.

Access

Under the terms of the Tenancy Agreement, a tenant must allow any of our staff or contractors reasonable access to undertake inspections or work. Failure to do so means they are in breach of their tenancy and are putting themselves, their families and their neighbours at risk.

If we are unable to gain access, we will apply for a court order and the cost of any court action will be passed on to you.

Fire safety

Your home is provided with at least one mains operated smoke alarm which has a battery back-up for when the mains power fails. Regularly test the alarm and vacuum around the casing. Never paint the casing when decorating.

Fire doors are provided in communal areas and to some kitchens. They are generally identified by the presence of a door closer and should never be propped or wedged open.

Reporting repairs

If you experience problems, call 01283 595795 during office hours or email housing.repairs@southderbyshire.gov.uk. If it is an emergency out of hours, please call 01332 912642

When reporting a repair, provide us with an up-to-date contact number as the contractor will contact you directly to arrange their visit.

Customer satisfaction

We appreciate your feedback, whether it is good or bad, and use it to improve our services. We issue customer satisfaction questionnaires to anyone who has a repair, improvement or safety check. The questionnaire is issued either:

  • by post if you have reported a day-to-day repair
  • handed to you either by the project officer carrying out a final inspection after an improvement or by the contractor carrying out planned maintenance or an annual safety check.

The results of the questionnaires are fed back to our staff, workforce or contractors and are included in our performance reports.