Safety in your home

Water leaks

Many claims are caused by water leaks from washing machines and other appliances. The people who suffer the most live in flats below the source of the leak.

Please make sure all appliances are installed properly. You may be liable to pay the excess and other uninsured sums for any damage caused to other residents’ property.

 

Gas servicing

If you smell gas:

  • Call Cadet Gas on 0800 111 999 (24 hours) immediately from a nearby property (don't use a landline or mobile phone in the affected property)
  • Open all doors and windows
  • Turn the gas off at the meter (unless the meter is located in the cellar/basement)
  • Put out cigarettes and don't use anything with a naked flame
  • Don't use electrical equipment
  • Don't touch light switches – they might cause a spark

 

If your carbon-monoxide detector sounds or changes colour:

  • Turn off gas appliances
  • Leave the building
  • contact Cadet Gas urgently

We take gas safety very seriously. As you own the gas appliances in your home, it is for you to ensure they are safe by getting checks done regularly once a year. Apart from being dangerous, failing to adequately maintain your gas appliances could make your contents insurance worthless. So it is very important to arrange these checks.  

 

Legionnaires disease

Low amounts of Legionella are not harmful. Legionella is only dangerous if conditions are right for the bacteria to grow and if you inhale water droplets from a contaminated water system.

 

Our responsibilities

  • We are legally obliged to check for Legionella in our buildings, as part of regular checks to ensure water systems are clean and safe to use.

 

What you can do

  • Set the correct water temperature. Where possible set hot water cylinders at 60°C or above. Regular use of cold water should ensure temperatures stay below 20°C.
  • De-scale taps and showers every three months or when there is an obvious build-up of scale (in hard water areas, you may need to do this more often).
  • Check the water tank, if you have one and contact us if the lid is missing or damaged.
  • Use water taps once a week this will ensure water doesn’t stand in pipes.
About Shepherds Bush Housing Group

About Shepherds Bush Housing Association

Part of The Guinness Partnership, we have more than 5000 homes, throughout nine boroughs in west London

Find out more About Us