High Rise Building Fire Safety
Fire Evacuation Strategy
The City of Lincoln Council High Rise Residential Buildings, including Jarvis House, Trent View and, Shuttleworth House, all have a ‘Stay Put’ Policy.
What is a ‘Stay Put’ Policy
A ‘Stay Put’ Policy is an evacuation strategy used in purpose-built blocks of flats. This is used to maintain the safety of people who are not in the immediate proximity of a fire.
If a fire is not in a tenant’s flat, it is recommended by the ‘Stay Put’ policy procedure that they stay inside with the doors and windows closed. The procedure advises that a person should evacuate the building by the nearest exit and call the fire service on 999 if they become aware of smoke/ heat or feel in danger or unhappy with the situation. There is no legal obligation for a person to ‘stay put’ if they choose to leave the building.
Why is a ‘Stay-Put’ Policy used?
A ‘Stay Put’ policy is used for a variety of reasons, primarily because it significantly improves residents’ safety. By using a ‘Stay Put’ policy, residents in a block of flats are kept safely away from a fire if they are not within the immediate area.
Through using this policy, each individual flat helps to contain the fire for a length of time until the fire service arrives to extinguish it. The construction of a building using fire-resistant materials in combination with fire doors means the building itself protects against the fire, containing it and giving the fire service more time to put the fire out.
Also, by having a ‘Stay Put’ Policy can assist firefighters to conduct their job safely and quickly, clear corridors and stairwells are very beneficial. If people are kept safe from a fire by the compartmentation of their flats, firefighters can focus on extinguishing the fire without the added complication of panic and distress from residents.
Fire Action Notices
Fire Action Notices are displayed within the high-rise residential buildings giving information and instruction on what to do in the event of a fire.
Read the Fire Action Notice for High Rise Buildings
Resident Fire Safety Information Leaflet
Find below Fire Safety Information for Residents Specific to the City of Lincoln council high rise residential buildings.
Read the Jarvis House Resident Information Leaflet
Read the Trent View Resident Information Leaflet
Read the Shuttleworth House Resident Information Leaflet
Fire Doors
Why are fire doors important?
Flats that open into communal areas are required to have flat entrance doors that can withstand a fire and the spread of smoke for at least 30 minutes, helping to keep communal escape routes clear.
If there is a fire in your flat, it is important that your flat entrance fire door closes behind you, so that smoke and fire do not spread into the corridors.
The fire doors should be kept shut when not in use and the self-closing device should not be disabled or tampered with as this could affect the door’s functionality.
Do not replace parts of the door or add new parts, e.g. installing additional locks.
For the fire door set and the fire door itself to be effective all parts must be working properly. This includes the frame, glazing (if present), hinges, letter box and handles etc. Any faults or damage should be reported immediately to the council.
Fire door Inspections
To ensure your safety and that of your neighbours, we will be inspecting all flat entrance doors(including leaseholders’ doors) in our three high rise tower blocks annually and communal fire doors quarterly.
Read the fire door safety advice for high rise flats leaflet
Keep Communal Areas Clear
If you live in a flat or in a building with a shared stairwell or corridor remember to keep them clear from obstruction and any fire hazards such as bikes, prams or scooters.
If there is a fire this is your way to escape.
If you find clutter in your corridor, please contact Tenancy Services through emailing customer.services@lincoln.gov.uk or call 01522 873333
Read the ‘Keep your escape route and communal area clear’ leaflet
Report a structural of fire safety issue in a High-Rise Buildings
Types of issues to report
- damaged or broken fire doors
- faulty fire alarm systems
- blocked fire escapes, corridors or exits
- signs of structural problems (cracks or unsafe balconies)
How to report a fire or structural safety issue
The quickest way to report a fire or structural safety issue in your building is by calling customer services on 01522 873333
Report a structural or fire safety issue
Mandatory Occurrence Reporting
If a fire or structural safety issue related to a high-rise building has caused or if not remedied is likely to cause serious harm to a significant number of people, we may report it to the Building Safety Regulator.