Being prepared in the eventof a home emergency could limit the potential damage to your home.
Put our useful home safetyguide to the test and make sure your home is safe and sound.
?Burst pipes
Ifyour pipes burst, turn off all stopcocks.
What'sa stopcock? A valve attached to the pipes that stops the flow of water.
Wheredo I find the stopcock? The first stopcock is usually in the kitchen beside orunder the sink. The stopcock for your storage tank that supplies your cisternand bathroom is usually in the bathroom or a bedroom.
Ifyou can't stop the water immediately, turn on all the cold taps to drain thepipes. Don't turn on the hot taps. Turn off your central hearing and electricimmersion heaters.
?Frozen pipes
Ifyour pipes are frozen, turn off the stopcocks.
Ifyou can see that the pipe has split, empty the cold water out. You can do thisby turning on the cold taps, flushing the toilet or by siphoning water fromyour cistern.
Ifthe pipe is intact, thaw it out slowly using hot water bottles or a hair dryer.
Youcan prevent your pipes from freezing by lagging them with foam pipe protectors.
?Gas leak
Turnoff the gas at the control valve.
Whereis the control valve? It is usually attached to the pipe coming off your gasmeter and it is often on the left-hand side.
Openall your doors and windows. Whatever you do, do not light a match, cigarette orturn on electrical switches until the gas has cleared. If there is an openflame burning, put it out. Call Transco, the 24 hour national gas emergencyservice on 0800 111 999 and report your gas leak.
?Fire
Fita British Standard's approved smoke alarm in your house. Make sure it has akitemark and check that the batteries are working at least once a week. Themost effective place to fit a smoke alarm is at the top or bottom of yourstairs (if you have them). If you live in a flat, fit it in a hallway that isbetween your living room and the bedrooms. All smoke alarms should be at least30cm away from the closest light fitting.
?What to do in a fire
Shut the door to the room where the fire is
Close all doors behind you as you leave the building. This starves the fire of oxygen.
Leave the building as quickly as possible
Call 999 from outside the building
?What to do if you are trapped by afire
Stop smoke from spreading by blocking any gaps under the door
Drop to the floor and stay close to the ground to avoid smoke inhalation
Formore information about fire safety, visit .
?How to prevent home emergencies
?Lag your pipes
?Get your boilerchecked every year
?Know where yourstopcocks and control valves are
?Buy essential toolslike a wrench and a torch
?Fit a carbon-monoxidealarm
?Keep a list of emergencynumbers by your phone
?Create an evacuationplan in case of fire
?Ensure your familyknows what to do in an emergency
? cover
Home emergencies can and do happen. Even if you know what to doand how to limit the damage to your home, it is wise to make sure you have enoughhome insurance. Make sure you are covered for the cost of repairs to your homeand/or the replacement of items that are damaged. Most insurance companies alsooffer home emergency insurance that provides additional cover in times of crisis.