Important fire safety guidance for those living in sheltered/supported housing and high rise buildings.

High Rise Buildings

Most high-rise domestic buildings are built with the principle of ‘stay put’ in mind. This means that flats will be designed to resist the spread of fire. Because of this, a fire is not likely to spread from one flat to another.

You are at no more risk of having a domestic fire than those living in other types of houses.

You should always have a fire escape plan and know what to do in an emergency.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has published fire safety guidance for those living in high rise buildings. This applies to the multi-story flats at Glenavon Road, as well as the mini-multis at:

  • 266/276 Cumlodden Drive

  • 1 Lyndale Place

  • 5 Lyndale Road

  • 545 Sandbank Street

  • 200 Shiskine Drive

  • 220 Shiskine Drive

  • Fearnmore Road

If a fire is in your flat

If you discover a fire in your flat, you should:

  • follow your fire escape plan.

  • shout to alert others in your household and get out quickly.

  • if smoke is present, keep low and crawl if you need to get below the smoke level.

  • close doors behind you, including the front door to prevent smoke and fire from spreading.

  • once you are out, stay out.

  • don’t use the lifts - always take the stairs to exit the building.

  • call 999 as soon as you are in a safe place.

If you are trapped

It is rare for people to be trapped by fire,  but if you are:

  • go to a ‘safe room’, which should have a window and a phone, and gather everyone there.

  • call 999.

  • pack bedding or towels around the door to keep smoke out.

  • open the window to breathe clean air and try attracting attention by waving a sheet if it is safe to do so.

If there is a fire in your building but not in your flat

If a smoke alarm is sounding in a communal area or you can smell smoke, call 999. You should also:

  • stay in your flat and keep the front door closed.

  • pack a towel or sheets around the bottom of the front door to stop smoke from getting in.

  • go to an open window and wait for the arrival of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

You should stay in your home and keep the front door closed unless:

  • you are directly affected by heat, smoke or fire.

  • the Fire and Rescue Service or the Police tell you to get out.

If you need to translate this guidance into another language, please follow the steps below:

  1. Access the fire safety guidance using the Google Chrome web browser.

  2. Click the three dots at the top right hand side of the screen, next to the user icon.

  3. Select 'Translate' from the menu that appears.

  4. If that option doesn't appear, click 'More Tools' and then select 'Translate'.

  5. Another menu should appear.

  6. Click the three dots and select 'Choose another language'.

  7. Another menu should now appear.

  8. Select the language you wish to translate to from the dropdown list and then click the 'Translate' button.

  9. The webpage should now display in your chosen language.

Supported and Sheltered Housing

The Scottish Government published updated Fire Safety Guidance in 2022 which included specific guidance in relation to specialised housing and similar premises.

The aim of the guidance is to prevent and reduce the risk of fires and is aimed at individuals living in sheltered housing, supported housing and very sheltered housing.

This guidance will apply to Maryhill Housing Association’s two retirement housing schemes, Oran Place and Shiskine Place. On-site staff will be meeting with each resident shortly to carry out an assessment to understand if there is a risk of a fire and what measures can be put in place to prevent a fire from occurring.

The Association also has a small number of supported properties where 24-hour care and support is provided by a registered care provider and will be working with these organisations to ensure that we comply with the guidance.

General needs socially rented properties are exempt from this guidance, but there is a recommendation that assessments should be considered for those residing in that type of accommodation who receive some level of care and or housing support. The guidance confirms that family members and care/support providers could carry out an assessment and share this information with the Association so that appropriate action can be taken to limit the risk of a fire. Clear straight forward guidance has been developed to support family members and carers to carry out an assessment.

If a family member, your support provider, or carer will be carrying out an assessment on your behalf and would like further information on this matter, please contact a member of our Customer Contact team on 0141 946 2466 or enquiries@maryhill.org.uk

Free Home Safety Visits

Tenants can also arrange a free home safety visit from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service if they have any concerns about the ability of themselves or a family member to act in a fire. This is particularly relevant for elderley tenants or those with a disability.

Grenfell Inquiry Phase 1 Recommendations

The Scottish Government recently published its response to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1 recommendations produced for Scottish Ministers by the Scottish Government Grenfell Inquiry Fire Safety Working Group (GIFSWG).