Building safety in high-rise blocks

Sumac Gardens

We want you and your neighbours to feel safe in your home, so we're always looking at ways to improve the measures in place in your home and block.

If we find a fire safety fault that we know will take us more than 24 hours to fix, our Building Safety Manager or Fire Safety Officer make the local fire and rescue service aware and review the Fire Risk Assessment to see if we need to put any additional safety measures in place.

Remember, we need your help to keep everyone safe. Please keep your building’s fire doors closed, the corridors and exits clear, and report any faults with fire doors or other safety equipment as soon as possible.

Fire Doors

There are fire doors throughout the building, including the front door on every flat, which help to prevent the spread of fire and smoke.

Doors in communal areas are inspected every 3 months. Individual flat front doors are checked annually.

Sprinklers

There are sprinklers in every flat, which will help to put out any fires within their reach.

Sprinklers receive a visual inspection once a month and a full service every year.

Fire Risk Assessment (FRA)

An FRA involves inspecting common areas of the building to check that fire safety measures meet the legal requirements. An FRA will also identify any futher improvements we could make to help make your block even safer.

An FRA is completed annually.

Fire detection system

The fire detection system is present in all flats and will provide an early warning if smoke or heat is detected.

The communal fire alarm is inspected monthly and serviced every six months.

Electrics

A qualified electrician will carry out a full test and inspection every five years in the communal areas and in individual flats.

Smoke control system

There is a smoke control system on every floor and an automatically-opening vent at the top of the stairwell. The vents will open if smoke or excessive heat is detected, allowing it to be vented outside and keeping stairwells clear for residents to exit the building.

These are inspected monthly and serviced every six months.

Emergency lighting

Emergency lighting is installed throughout the building. These look like ordinary lights but will last for a minimum of three hours should power to the building fail, and will help to keep escapes routes lit and clear.

These are inspected monthly and serviced annually.

Dry riser

Both Sumac East and West have dry riser inlets which provide water to outlets on each floor, as well as the lower ground floor (car park, bin store and cycle store).

A dry riser is designed to help firefighters easily access water on all floors and compartments. It’s made up of a system of water inlets, pipes, and outlets spread throughout a building across all levels.

They're inspected monthly and serviced every six months.

Lifts

Each block has a firefighting lift, which will automatically return to the ground floor if smoke is detected in the communal areas. It will also allow firefighters to get themselves and their equipment to a fire more quickly.