Stay safe this Christmas

No one wants to see Christmas delight turn into tragedy, so please keep your family safe by following our top seasonal safety tips.

Sparkling fairy lights and twinkling candles can give your home a warm and festive glow, but they can be dangerous (and even deadly) if you’re not careful. Always remember to turn off Christmas lights and blow out candles at night and whenever you go out. Candle fires destroy hundreds of homes each year across the country, so please be extra cautious. Don’t leave children or pets in a room with a lit candle and keep naked flames away from Christmas decorations and material like curtains or tablecloths which could easily catch alight. If you live in a flat, please keep your Christmas decorations inside your home, don’t put any decorations up in communal areas or attach items to the new front doors.

Unfortunately, emergency services are called to deal with electric fires in homes each Christmas. Keep your family safe by unplugging devices and electrical items at night, never overloading plug sockets and only using the approved manufacturer’s cables and chargers. Check out more electrical safety advice online.

All the packaging, plastic and paper that comes with presents, food and treats at this time of year results in a lot of extra rubbish being thrown away. Wheelie bins and bin areas in blocks of flats get filled up faster at Christmas than any other time of the year. Not only do overflowing bins look unsightly; they can attract vermin and create a fire risk. We’re providing additional bins and collection services to blocks of flats over the Christmas period to deal with the extra Christmas rubbish.

Extra bins will be delivered to tower blocks later this month to help with the removal of rubbish from tower block bin areas. Plus, Neighbourhood Wardens will be on hand to ensure tower and walk-up blocks are kept clear and tidy over the festive season. If you live in a flat make sure you (or your neighbours) don’t dump rubbish bags, boxes or any personal items in communal areas or walkways. These areas must always be kept clear, as they are your escape routes in the event of a fire or emergency.

Please dispose of your rubbish correctly and take a look at our reduce, reuse, recycle page, for tips on how to reduce the amount of waste in your general waste bin at Christmas and throughout the rest of the year.