Tenant Safety

Health and Safety for Tenants

We continue to focus on health and safety for tenants and have worked on:

• Annual Gas Service checks to all properties
  
• Electrical Safety checks to all properties (every 5 years)
  
• Smoke detector, heat alarm and carbon monoxide detector programme (all properties are compliant with Scottish Government legislative standard)
  
• Fire safety checks (communal fire risk assessments are carried out every 2 years)
  
• Asbestos management checks (rolling programme of checks)
  
• Legionella management checks (rolling programme of checks)
  
• Mould, dampness and condensation inspections (all reports are inspected by staff or Association's Clerk of Works)
• The Association has implemented a Lift Safety Policy. The Association has no lifts or hoists. Please see below for more detail son each of the headings above.

Important Information about Gas Servicing

Gas Servicing is carried out to all of the Association’s properties annually. The landlord has a legal requirement under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. The Association must ensure that all of its gas heating and hot water appliances are serviced at least once in every 12 months.

The servicing of your gas equipment is extremely important for your health and safety and to others who share the building. The risk of carbon monoxide poisoning or gas explosion is a real threat, and annual servicing greatly reduces any such risks.

Only by allowing access to your property can you help to be sure that you are safe. The gas service will highlight any defects and the Association will ensure that they are rectified as soon as possible.

Failure by tenants to refuse or continually deny access is a breach of your Tenancy Agreement and entry will be forced to your home. You may also face Court action.

Important Information about Electrical Safety

All of the Association's properties have a current electrical safety certificate. The Association has a rolling programme of electrical inspections based on a five-year cycle.

Important Information about Fire Safety

Fire safety ensures the protection of residents, staff, and buildings.  

The Association properties have mains wired smoke alarms, which are replaced as required or when they reach their 10-year life span, whichever is sooner. In addition to this, all propeties have carbon monoxide and heat alarms.

Staff carry out regular inspections of communal closes to ensure that escape routes are kept clear. Regular communal fire safety risk assessments are carried out by an independent consultant and tenants are provided with safety information via the newsletter, the Association's website and social media. 

Staff have completed a range of fire safety training, including fire awareness, fire warden duties and fire door inspection fundamentals.

Important Information about Asbestos

Asbestos is a general name given to several naturally occurring fibrous minerals that have crystallised to form fibres. Asbestos fibres do not dissolve in water or evaporate, they are resistant to heat, fire, chemical and biological degradation and are mechanically strong. It is safe if undisturbed, but exposure to fibres can cause serious health issues.

The Association manages asbestos through regular surveys, record keeping, staff training, and use of licensed contractors when intrusive testing is required. We are working with Environtec to further develop our asbestos register which is made available to our contractors. Targeted testing is completed before planned maintenance works commence. All of the Association's communal closes have been tested. 

Important Information about Legionella

Legionnaires’ disease is a lung infection caused by inhaling small water droplets containing Legionella bacteria. It does not spread between people and is commonly associated with water systems that are warm, stagnant, or poorly maintained. Those who are over 50 years of age and/or suffer from ill health are particularly vulnerable.

Control measures tenants can undertake include running water throuh all the hot and cold water taps throughout your home on at least a weekly basis and cleaning and descaling showerheads. These precautions are even more important if you are over 50 years of age or suffer from ill health.

The Association has worked with Enviroteam Limited to develop a bespoke Written Scheme. Surveys have been completed on a sample of tenanted properties, with all recommended actions addressed, and will continue annually on a rolling programme until all housing stock is assessed.

Important Information about Mould, Dampness and Condensation

Please click on the link below for more information about how the Association manages reports of mould, dampness and condensation.

Managing Mould, Dampness and Condensation

Important Information about Lift Safety

The Association has no lifts or hoists, but three of our properties have stairlifts installed. These stairlifts are serviced annually by a third party organisation. A Lift Safety Policy has been implemented to clarify the Association’s position.