KEEPING SAFE DURING YOUR STAY IN THE OLD COTTAGE
[NB. THIS GUIDE IS POSTED ON THE WEB SITE FOR INFORMATION. IT WILL FORM PART OF THE TOUR OF THE HOUSE ON THE DAY OF YOUR ARRIVAL. A COPY WILL BE LEFT WITH YOU IN THE HOUSE FOR REFERENCE]
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This is a brief guide to help you have a safe holiday. Please spend a few minutes reading through it and ensure that all guests are familiar with its contents. If there is anything in this guide that you are unclear about or anything else you would like to know then please telephone me. Thank you.
In the event of any emergency you should ensure that the occupants are safe; evacuating the house if necessary and then DIAL 999 for the emergency services.
In the event of a non emergency then please telephone:
Tim Hart: 01243 842700
Mobile: 07830177131
or Della Hart: 07886768306
General:
The Old Cottage is a normal house with similar characteristics as any other house in terms of potential hazards. If you have very young children you should pay the usual care and attention to them that you would do so ordinarily in your own home. Additionally consider keeping a special eye on them in what will be an unfamiliar environment.
Tour on your arrival:
You will be given a tour of the house on arrival to familiarise yourselves with the layout and the facilities. This will include safety and the safety issues mentioned in this guide.
Gas and electricity:
The house is supplied by both gas and electricity. The gas installation has been checked by a Corgi approved engineer and a safety certificate issued. The electricity wiring and the consumer boxes are modern and professionally installed and tested. The electricity supply will trip, through contact breaker points, in the event of a fault. If this happens you should not simply reset the contact breaker switch without first ensuring that the fault has been identified and rectified. The gas boiler will probably be turned off in the summer months. [if it is not then you will be shown how to operate the controls.] There is a mains electricity carbon monoxide detector installed in the kitchen and this should be left switched on at all times. An illuminated green light on the installation box indicates that the alarm is active. In the event of this alarm sounding [high pitched audible plus red light on installation box] then you should open doors and windows in the vicinity of the kitchen, evacuate the house and telephone 0800 111 999 for assistance.
The hot water will be provided by an immersion heater which is thermostatically controlled and can be left switched on throughout your stay.
The garden perimeter:
The garden perimeter is fully enclosed with wall and fencing and a removable barrier gate across the drive access. The barrier across the drive acts as a deterrent to young children and pets and is not intended to provide an absolute safeguard against a determined dog or child to ‘escape’. The barrier gate should be kept in position whilst pets and very young children are in the garden.
No smoking policy:
There is a strict no smoking policy in the house. It is OK to smoke outside in the garden taking the usual care not to cause any fire hazard.
Smoke detectors:
There are a number of smoke detectors located in the house. These are regularly checked and confirmed as operational. The smoke warning is a high pitched audible alarm. In the event of this alarm sounding you should immediately evacuate the house and DIAL 999 for the emergency services. [Only if you are certain that it is a false alarm and there is no risk to the guests – for example smoke caused by normal cooking – should you take corrective action yourself by opening doors and windows. PLEASE DO NO REMOVE THE BATTERIES FROM THE SMOKE ALARMS UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES.
Fire fighting equipment:
There is a fire blanket and multi-purpose fire extinguisher mounted on the wall in the kitchen. These should only be used on small fires and only if you are confident that the fire can be extinguished quickly and easily. IF IN DOUBT THEN EVACUATE THE HOUSE IMMEDIATELY AND DIAL 999 FOR THE EMERGENCY SERVICES
Means of escape in the event of fire:
There are a number of doors on the ground floor which provide escape routes. In addition the windows [most of which are vertical sash operated] can also pivot to enable easy exit through the window.
First Aid:
There are basic first aid supplies on the shelf in the utility room. These should only be used by a qualified person. IF IN DOUBT ALWAYS SUMMON MEDICAL ASSISTANCE.
Fires:
Please don’t light the log fire in the lounge or the gas fire in the 2nd reception room as these may pose a fire risk if left unsupervised
I hope you have a very pleasant stay in The Old Cottage and an enjoyable holiday.
Tim Hart