We want you to be safe and secure in your home and we provide a range of services to do this.

You can understand more about the standards you can expect from us and how we’ll work together to keep your home safe and well maintained, by downloading and reading our service standard.

Gas

Every year we carry out a gas safety inspection of your home. Gas Safe Registered engineers do these checks, which make sure gas appliances remain safe. We also do a visual inspection of your own gas appliances to check they’re working as they should and test your smoke and Co2 alarms. We’ll contact you at least eight weeks before your service is due to book an appointment. If the appointment isn’t convenient, please call us straight away on 0300 333 6540 to rearrange. Think you can smell gas? Call 0800 111 999 immediately. For tips on gas safety, go to www.gassaferegister.co.uk

Electrics

Every five years, we carry out inspections and tests to make sure the electrics in your home are safe. A qualified electrician will inspect and test the ‘fixed’ things like wiring, plug sockets, light fittings and fuse box. If you’re concerned about electrics, please call us on 0300 333 6540.

Fire safety and smoke detectors

Before homes are let, we carry out essential fire safety checks, which include checking electrics and smoke detectors. In blocks of flats, your home has the same checks but we also check your fire doors, you can read more about fire safety in blocks and schemes further on.

In communal areas of blocks, you’ll see a fire action notice that explains what to do if there’s a fire or emergency. We also have a fire safety leaflet, which offers advice and guidance. You can download and read it below.

All our blocks have frequent fire risk assessments to identify any potential fire safety issues. If you see or smell smoke, always call 999 immediately.

If you live in a block, your fire door should always close (via its self-closer) and fit properly with no gaps. If you’re concerned about the condition of a fire door or a door is damaged, report this immediately by calling us on 0300 333 6540.

It’s important to have a working smoke alarm in your home as it can save your life in a fire. Please let us know if there isn’t a smoke alarm in your home or if your alarm isn’t working. These are checked as part of the annual gas service (LGSR) and electrical installation condition report (EICR) every five years.

For fire safety advice, go to www.wmfs.net or www.shropshirefire.gov.uk Concerned about fire safety in general? Please call us on 0300 333 6540.

Asbestos

We commission an asbestos inspection before doing any planned maintenance work in your home. If you have asbestos and it’s going to be affected by planned works, we’ll safely remove it before work starts. If you’re concerned about asbestos, please call us on 0300 333 6540 or visit the Health and Safety Executive website.

You can also understand more about asbestos and how we manage it by downloading and reading our leaflet.

Water safety

Although the risk is low, standing water in your home can become contaminated with bacteria that can develop into legionella. If you find debris or discolouration in your water or boiler, or your water system isn’t working normally, please call us on 0300 333 6540. To reduce any risk, it’s also important to clean shower heads regularly and if you have an outside hose, run this for a minute on low pressure to flush it out if it’s been sitting in sunlight or unused for a while.

You can also understand more about water safety and how we manage it by downloading and reading our leaflet.

Lift safety

We carry out lift inspections every six months alongside regular maintenance throughout the year. When using a lift, there are ways you can stay safe.

• The lift may not be perfectly level with the floor, so be mindful of this when you step in or out.
• Keep clothing and belongings away from the doors to avoid getting caught.
• Keep children and pets in sight. Don’t let them wander off from the lift or get trapped in the doors.
• Move in and out of the lift safely by letting passengers nearest the doors exit first when the lift arrives.
• If the doors need to be held open, use the button and don’t try to stop them manually.
• Be aware of the floor you are on and where you are going.
• If the doors don’t open, press the ‘door open’ button. If that doesn’t work, wait for the next lift and don’t try to pry the doors open. 
• If the lift stops between floors, don’t panic. There is plenty of fresh air. Do not try to climb or open the lift doors. Press the emergency button and wait for a response.
• In the event of a fire, or if a fire alarm in a communal area has been activated (sounding), do not use the lift.

Building safety in blocks and schemes

Our building safety policy makes sure our residential tenanted and shared ownership blocks and schemes are safe. As a responsible landlord, we’re constantly assessing blocks and schemes for safety risks, which we do through building inspections.

We also appoint contractors to do some safety checks for us including, fire risk assessments, fire alarm and fire safety equipment servicing (where applicable), electrical installation testing, gas servicing and emergency light testing.

We listen to your suggestions to deliver building safety services that work for you and we’re committed to keeping you, your family and your home safe. We have a dedicated Building Safety team that makes sure our blocks and schemes, and your home, remain compliant with the latest government regulations. If you have any queries about building safety, please contact us by calling 0300 333 6540 or email enquiries@bvt.org.uk

Communal and residential door checks

We carry out communal and flat door checks in blocks and schemes, to make sure they’re working properly. All new fire doors and communal doors are fitted as ‘door sets’ which are certified and recorded.

External wall system (EWS) surveys (now Fire Risk Appraisals of External Walls – FRAEW)

We carry out EWS surveys (now known as FRAEW), as part of our ongoing programme of fire risk assessments. These surveys provide us and you with more information about our blocks and schemes so we can continue to improve building safety.

In compliance with the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023, we have appointed Neil Ashford as the lead for ensuring compliance with BVT’s health and safety obligations for tenants.