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Preventing accidents at home

Accidents at home are common, typically being:

  • trips and falls
  • fires
  • burns and scalds
  • accidental poisoning
  • garden accidents.

Visit the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents website for advice on how to keep yourself and your family safe at home, including advice on child safety and garden safety.

Electrical safety

Electrical fires account for almost half of accidental house fires. Approximately nine out of ten (89 percent) electrical fires are caused by electrical products, mainly through their misuse.

The Electrical Safety First website offers simple advice to help you to keep yourself, your loved ones and your homes safe from electrical accidents and fires.

Fire safety

You can ask for a free home fire risk assessment, have a smoke alarm fitted for free or get advice on fire safety by calling 0800 555 815 or visiting the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service website.

Home Fire Risk Assessment Teams work in the home with older people and people with disabilities to discuss the risks of fire and to look for any visible warning signs. They also work with carers to ensure that they have the relevant knowledge and skills to get themselves and the person they care for out safely in the event of a fire.

In the event of a fire, you should call for emergency help on 999.

Gas safety and carbon monoxide

If you smell gas, think a gas appliance is dangerous or you're worried about fumes containing carbon monoxide, please contact National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999.

Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning can be fatal or cause permanent damage to your health. Carbon monoxide is produced when carbon fuels don't burn completely. It has no smell or taste and, in large quantities, it can kill very quickly. If you suspect carbon monoxide poisoning, you should:

  • get everyone out into the fresh air
  • open all doors and windows to ventilate the property
  • do not turn on/off any electrical switches
  • extinguish all naked flames, do not smoke, strike matches or do anything which could cause ignition
  • if there are any electrical security entry phones/locks, please open door manually.

The Gas Safe Register is the official gas registration body for the United Kingdom, Isle of Man and Guernsey. By law, all gas engineers must be on the Gas Safe Register.

The main focus of the register is on improving and maintaining gas safety to the highest standards making sure all gas engineers on the register are qualified to work with gas.