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Resident Home Safety

Our residents safety is at the heart of everything we do at Trident Group.

It’s our priority to make sure your home is maintained to a high standard and is safe and secure.

We do a number of checks each year to keep your home and the communal areas of your building safe. These include fire risk assessments, emergency lighting testing, fire alarm testing, estate walkabouts and gas\electrical checks to name a few. However, there are things you can do to keep yourself safe within in your home.

We have created a ‘Resident Home Safety Handbook’ which is full of information you can use to keep you, your family and your neighbours safe. In the handbook you will find information on:

  • Fire safety
  • Smoke alarms
  • Safety in communal areas
  • Electrical safety
  • Gas safety
  • Water hygiene and Legionella
  • Asbestos
  • Condensation
  • Security
  • Windows
  • Repairs


You can download a copy of the Resident Home Safety Handbook by clicking the link below:

You can find more about how we keep you safe in your home and how you can help, on the following pages:

Aids and Adaptions

Its important that your home is somewhere that you can feel comfortable in and works for you. We can help you to maintain your independence and improve your quality of life by supporting you to adapt your home.

This maybe something minor such as fitting a handrail or could involve fitting a lift. We are here to help with any adaptions you may need to your home to make it more accessible and suitable for you.

Learn more on how we can help on our aids and adaptions page.

Asbestos

Asbestos containing materials are common in many buildings across the country built or refurbished between 1945 and 1985. Homes built after 1999 do not contain asbestos.
When asbestos containing materials become damaged, there is the possibility of fibres being released into the air, which can be a risk to your health. It is important not to disturb or damage these materials, if you leave them untouched it will not be dangerous.

You should ask us for approval if you are planning major work in your home. If you think asbestos is present we can offer advice. It is important to be careful with power tools while doing DIY as this could increase the amount of fibres released into your home.

Decorating
Some textured ceiling coatings, such as Artex, are known to contain a small quantity of asbestos. Do not attempt to remove them especially with power tools. We can offer help and advice so please get in touch with us.

Do not attempt to remove it. It is against the law for anyone except trained, licensed professionals to attempt to remove and dispose of asbestos.

  • Do not attempt to clean it up or repair it yourself.
  • Do not brush or vacuum as this will spread the fibres into the air.
  • Contact us for advice and assistance by calling 0121 633 4633.

We have a duty to manage asbestos in the communal areas of our buildings and regularly undertake asbestos surveys. We also carry out surveys in individual dwellings when a property becomes empty or before our contractors do some types of works in your property.

If we find asbestos, we have a number of options to utilise and will pick the best one for your safety and to ensure any works in your property can be completed. Some of these options are:

  • Leave in place – often the best and safest option.
  • Removal – this will be completed by licensed contractors.
  • Encapsulation – this is where a special coating is applied to the material.

Water safety and legionella

Legionnaires’ disease is a potentially fatal form of pneumonia. People can catch it by inhaling small droplets of contaminated water containing the bacteria. It is more likely to affect those who are susceptible due to age, illness, immunosuppression etc.

To prevent Legionnaire’s disease, make sure that your:

  • Hot water in the system remains hot (>50°c at the hot tap outlet).
  • Cold water remains cold (<20°c at the cold tap outlet).
  • The water system is kept circulated.

You should also:

  • Make sure to run any taps and shower heads for five minutes if they have been left unused for a week. Do not let any water fall on you. This includes outside taps.
  • Make sure all taps and shower heads are clean and free from limescale by regularly descaling and disinfecting them.
  • Let us know if the boiler or hot water is not working properly, particularly if hot water is not coming out of the hot taps or the cold-water tap is running warm.
  • Let us know if the water is discoloured.

You can do this by calling 0121 633 4633 or using our online portal.

Window Restrictors

There are a number of serious, sometimes fatal accidents every year involving people falling out of their windows. There is a particular danger for households that contain young children and toddlers. In order to protect you and your family, the windows in your home will be fitted with restrictors (typically limiting gaps to 100mm), which prevent them from opening fully. When your new tenancy starts, restrictors will be fitted to the windows in your property. These should never be removed.

To help us to keep you safe, it is important that you:

  • Check your windows regularly to ensure that any window restrictors are in good working order;
  • Report any defects to window restrictors to Trident Group on 0121 633 4633 as soon as possible to arrange a repair free of charge
  • Avoid placing furniture underneath or immediately next to windows which could be used as a climbing aid for young children.

For information on window restrictors and your safety, please read more in the resident handbook above.