Last year, 9,000 people were injured by fire in their homes, and 4,000 suffered from carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. A new register set up by the Chief Fire Officers Association (CFOA) in conjunction with the UK’s Fire and Rescue Services (FRS) aims to reduce those figures.
The Blue Watch scheme aims to encourage landlords to make their rental properties safer from fire and CO risks and give themselves (and their tenants and potential tenants) peace of mind. The scheme will help ensure that the correct safety products and procedures are in place in rented properties, where the risk of fire and CO is higher than in owned properties.
Errant landlords
The ongoing stream of UK prosecutions for fire safety offences demonstrates that landlords continue to flout the regulations and put their tenants in danger.
Despite their legal responsibilities, many landlords do not fit CO or smoke alarms, provide tenants with gas safety certificates, or ensure electrical equipment is safe. West Yorkshire FRS research found 31 percent of landlords never worry about making sure their tenants are safe, yet 6 percent of renters — the equivalent of around 99,000 people in the region — have had a fire or gas leak in their home.
Record number of new landlords
In addition, the number of first-time landlords is now at a record high. Private investor landlords — or even people letting their property privately because they don’t want to sell it — are increasing. Often these landlords are not rogues, but they do not have a good understanding of their fire safety responsibilities.
Self-declaration and validation
The two-part voluntary Blue Watch scheme works as follows:
- Landlords or letting agents are able, for a small fee, to carry out a simple online self-declaration by answering a series of questions about their property and the safety measures in place.
- This self-certification is validated by an independent fire safety expert (sourced through the local FRS), who visits the property and gives advice on improving fire safety.
- Landlords are given a certificate after their assessment, and they may use the Blue Watch logo to demonstrate their property meets safety standards.
- Self-declarations cost GB pound 25 plus VAT, while the validation service costs GB pound 65 plus VAT; both are valid for 12 months. Blue Watch-branded fire safety products are also available via the website.
Blue Watch launched initially in West Yorkshire, Humberside, Merseyside, and Hampshire. For more information, visit the CFOA website.
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