Wednesday 30th March 2022

From 15^th July 2022, the Renting Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) (Wales) Regulations come into force. All landlords in Wales will need to ensure their properties meet the new legislation in order to be classified as fit for human habitation. New rules on smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms are stipulated as part of the regulations. So, what does this mean for landlords in Wales?

Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms in rented properties in Wales

To comply with the new smoke alarm regulations, landlords must ensure all rented properties have a minimum of:

• At least one hard-wired smoke alarm (mains powered) on each level of the home
• All hard-wired alarms must be interlinked, either via a wireless radio-interlinking system or wired interlinking system
• A carbon monoxide alarm in any room with a fuel burning appliance (gas, oil or solid fuel)
• A heat alarm in the kitchen 

View our range of alarms suitable for the new Welsh regulations.

Protecting tenants and property from fire

Whilst the above regulations set out a minimum smoke alarm requirement, it also recommends that in larger or more complex properties additional smoke alarms should be considered in order to fully protect tenants. Any alarms additional to the new regulations are not required to be interlinked or mains-powered.

With 60% of fires in the home beginning in the kitchen, a heat alarm is recommended. Heat alarms can be installed in the kitchen and will not be triggered by cooking fumes or steam, meaning less false alarms.

What is the deadline for complying with the new Welsh regulations?

For smoke alarms, where there is already a tenancy in place on 15^th July 2022, landlords will have until 15^th July 2023 to comply with the new smoke alarm regulations. If a new tenancy starts after the 15^th July 2022 deadline, smoke alarms must meet the new requirements at the start of the tenancy. The regulations for providing a CO alarm in each room with a fuel burning appliance is applicable in all rental homes regardless of tenancy agreements from 15^th July 2022. More clarification can be sought in this in-depth smoke alarm guide from the Landlords Guild.

Which alarms do I need for my rental property in Wales?

Landlords need to provide mains-powered smoke alarms that are interlinking on each level of the rental home. Carbon monoxide alarms should also be provided. See above for full guidance on the new regulations. View our range of alarms suitable for the new Welsh regulations.

Who is responsible for the alarms once they are installed?

Under the new smoke alarms regulations in Wales, landlords are responsible for maintaining and replacing smoke alarms when necessary. It is important to note the date of alarm installation and when the alarm will require replacing. Smoke alarm sensors usually have a lifespan of 10 years (always check the manufacturer’s instructions), after which they become less effective. Landlords are not responsible for testing the smoke alarms.

Do hard-wired smoke alarms need to be installed by an electrician?

Yes. Hard-wired smoke alarms need to be installed by an electrician.

What is the penalty for not complying with the new smoke alarm rules?

The regulations have been updated to protect the safety of tenants. Radio-interlinked alarms alert residents sooner, allowing more time to escape in an emergency. Mains-powered alarms give more certainty to tenants and landlords than battery powered alarms. Under the new Fitness of Homes for Human Habitation legislation, any property that is not fitted with compliant smoke and carbon monoxide alarms will be deemed as not fit for human habitation. Until this is resolved, the tenant would not be required to pay rent.

Friday 4th March 2022

With electric and gas prices rising, making your home as energy efficient as possible should be a priority for anyone looking to save money on their energy bills. According to Which? draught-proofing is one of the top 10 ways to reduce energy bills. DraughtEx and Gapseal draught excluders are an easy and cost-effective way to insulate your home and could cut your heating bills significantly.

Make your home more energy efficient

Stop heat escaping through gaps and cracks to make your home more energy efficient. By reducing heat loss, less energy will be required to heat your home. The EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) rating of your home which takes into account the energy performance of windows and floors, can be improved by draught-proofing. Not only does a high EPC rating make for a more comfortable living environment, it may also help prospective buyers when selling your home. Landlords in England and Wales are required by law to get an EPC rating of band E or above when letting out properties. Draught-proofing is an easy solution to improving the energy efficiency and EPC rating whilst also reducing your carbon footprint.

Save money on your energy bills

Draught-proofing can significantly lower your energy bills as less heating is required to maintain your home at a comfortable temperature. The Energy Saving Trust predicts that insulating the floorboards on the ground floor of a gas-heated home could save as much as £85 per year. DraughtEx Floorboard Gap Filler is ideal for this purpose. In older houses with sash windows, Gapseal Sash Window Filler can also help to reduce heat loss around windows.

Easy, no-mess draught excluders

Both DraughtEx and Gapseal offer an easy, cost-effective solution to cold draughts. With no gluing required, both products are supplied with a free applicator tool to push the flexible tube into the gap, plugging the draught. The flexible nature of DraughtEx and Gapseal means that over time, the filler will not crack or age, giving long lasting draught protection.

Why not order a sample pack of DraughtEx or Gapseal and see the difference it could make to your home and energy bills?

DraughtEx Floorboard Gap Filler

• Floorboard draught excluder
• Supplied with FREE applicator tool
• Available in 3 sizes: thin, standard and thick
• FREE economy delivery

£7.91 ex VAT

£9.49 inc VAT

Buy Now

Gapseal Sash Window Gap Filler

• Sash window draught excluder
• Supplied with FREE applicator tool
• Suitable for 2-7mm gaps
• FREE economy delivery

£11.66 ex VAT

£13.99 inc VAT

Buy Now

Wednesday 9th February 2022

Construction sites can be hazardous places and the health and safety of workers and contractors must be a priority. Installing temporary fire doors during the construction phase should be considered in the fire safety plan prior to construction. According to the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the principal designers should consider compartmentation and escape routes as part of their health and safety planning. This is particularly important in high rise buildings where the escape route could be cut off in the event of a fire.

Fire doors – part of a compartmentation system

If a fire breaks out, fire doors, walls, ceilings and floors can be designed to form a passive fire protection system. This system will contain a fire in one area of the building. It will prevent it from spreading and causing further damage or endangering lives. Construction site fire doors are a critical part of this system and can protect escape routes, allowing contractors to exit the building safely in the case of a fire.

Temporary fire rated doors

Temporary fire protection during construction does not need to look good! It needs to serve a purpose. Therefore a fire door that has no primer or final finish is ideal as a solution during the construction phase. An FD30 fire rated door usually provides sufficient protection. However, a higher rating may be required depending on the type of fire risks and building specifications. Fire doors, whether temporary or not, should be fitted with a self-closing device.

Build a temporary site fire door to your specifications and measurements using our fire door configurator. Choose a basic, unprimed finish, add door closers, intumescent fire and smoke seals and frames if required.

Find out more about temporary fire protection during construction in our article fire safety on construction sites.

Friday 26th November 2021

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities published a press release on 23^rd November 2021 detailing changes to the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations 2015. These new regulations for smoke and CO alarms will improve safety standards in social housing for many people in England. This will bring them more in line with what is expected from private landlords.

What are the new regulations for smoke and CO alarms in social housing?

Smoke alarms have been mandatory in private rented accommodation since 2015, but rules for social housing have remained less clear. Now, under new regulations announced this week, social housing providers will have to adhere to the following rules:

• All social housing must have a smoke alarm fitted
• Any rented home including social housing must have a carbon monoxide detector fitted if the property has a fixed appliance like a gas boiler or gas fire
• If a smoke or carbon monoxide alarm is reported as faulty, landlords or housing providers must fix or replace it as soon as possible

Further details will follow on where the alarms should be fitted and any relevant alarm standards that must be adhered to.

Greater consistency for safety in the rental sector

Around 60 people die each year from carbon monoxide poisoning in England and Wales and many more from house fires. It is hoped these regulations will help to drive-up standards in social housing. Eddie Hughes, MP for Rough Sleeping and Housing said ‘I’m proud that the new rules being proposed will ensure even more homes are fitted with life-saving alarms. Whether you own your home, are privately renting or in social housing – everyone deserves to feel safe and this is an incredibly important step in protecting those at risk.’

The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) welcomes these changes and believes many people will be safer in their homes as a result. Jim Bywater, NFCC said ‘The new regulations will contribute to reducing fire and carbon monoxide casualties and fatalities and bring consistency and greater protection to those living in both private and social rented homes.’

The news comes during Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week and has been celebrated by the All-Party Parliamentary Carbon Monoxide Group (APPCOG). After conducting research studies into CO poisoning and poverty in the UK, they have been campaigning for change for a number of years. Safelincs attended the launch event for the APPCOG CO Awareness Week and are proud to support this event each year. Safelincs have also been working with the NFCC to create a free assessment tool to improve fire safety in homes across the UK.

Are you concerned about fire safety at home?

If you are worried about fire safety in your home or someone else’s home, why not complete our Online Home Fire Safety Check? Get tips and advice on how to reduce fire risks.

Tuesday 9th November 2021

Not only will the P50 Service-Free Fire Extinguisher save you money, it is also an eco-friendly choice. With a low-carbon manufacturing process, long-lasting design and fully recyclable construction, P50 Fire Extinguishers are a great option if you are looking to reduce your carbon footprint. Carbon emissions are reduced even further as there are no engineer visits required to your site.

Eco-friendly manufacturing

P50 Fire Extinguishers are energy efficient to manufacture. Unlike traditional fire extinguishers that are made of steel, P50s are made from granules of plastic. These are formed into a cylinder shape using blow moulding. This is a low-energy, clean and eco-friendly manufacturing process. It produces zero wastage as any off-cuts of plastic are turned back into granules and re-used.

P50 eco-friendly extinguishers are made in the UK at Britannia Fire’s factory in Norfolk. By buying a fire extinguisher that is manufactured in the UK, you are reducing the number of miles the product has travelled to reach your premises. This in turn, reduces your carbon footprint and contributes to lowering your environmental impact.

No annual servicing miles by an external contractor

The use of P50 extinguishers further reduces carbon emissions as there is no need for a servicing contractor to travel to you site each year to service the P50s. Each unit simply requires a quick visual check by a member of staff annually. This is fully compliant with fire safety legislation in the UK and is due to the unique construction of the units.

Reduce the number of fire extinguishers

P50 Water Mist Fire Extinguishers are very versatile covering all common fire risks and are dielectrically tested, meaning that they can be used on live electrical equipment up to 1kV from a 1m distance. It is usual to find a combination of CO2 and water or CO2 and foam extinguishers in many settings. Traditionally, CO2 extinguishers have been used to tackle electrical fires. Foam or water are used for class A (Solid combustibles like wood and paper) or class B (flammable liquids). The P50 Water Mist Extinguisher can be used to tackle all of these types of fire, making it an ideal substitute for the CO2 and water/foam combination.

Reducing the number of extinguishers at your premises not only reduces cost. It is also a more environmentally friendly way of operating. The environmental benefits of the P50 extinguishers are industry-leading. They can contribute towards wider business goals such as carbon footprint reduction and environmental policy. Coupled with the huge cost saving benefits, businesses and organisations do not have to choose between eco-friendly vs cost. In the case of the P50, you can have the best of both worlds.

Wednesday 13th October 2021

Safelincs are working in partnership with the National Fire Chiefs Council to launch a new Online Home Fire Safety Check (OHFSC) tool, available free of charge to all Fire Rescue Services in England.

Safelincs is pleased to announce the launch of a joint venture working in partnership with the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) and the Home Office’s Fire Kills campaign, the Online Home Fire Safety Check Tool. This innovative online assessment tool will be made available to all households across England and will enable them to complete a home assessment to help identify fire hazards in their home. The tool will also suggest changes that can be easily made to reduce the risk of a fire.

Safelincs donated their time and expertise to build the system and will support and provide the system free of charge to all fire and rescue services across England. This tool will complement the NFCC Person-Centred Framework.  Neil Odin, Chair of NFCC’s Prevention Committee and NFCC’s Prevention Programme Executive, said, “We have been overwhelmed by the positive feedback from FRSs who attended the conference, with many having already signed up to the on-boarding process.” He went on to say “In the long-term NFCC would like to see all FRSs adopt the new Online Home Fire Safety Check and use as an integral part of their prevention activities. This, we hope, will provide a consistent approach to identifying and logging issues related to home safety prevention activities, and assist with centrally capturing valuable data which will be made available for all FRSs to use and plan future prevention strategies.”

Safelincs have a passion for sharing free fire safety information with the public and working collaboratively with Fire Kills and NFCC to develop this online tool gives us great satisfaction. Harry Dewick-Eisele, MD Safelincs said ‘This co-operation has created a fire safety tool that makes a huge difference to people. It is easy to use and delivers well-tailored advice’

Complete the online home fire safety check for your home to see if you could improve your fire safety.