Fire Safety

Being aware of fire safety advice is extremely important.

Please watch this short video of fire safety guidance during your time at Durham.

The following bullet points summarise fire safety guidance here at Durham:

• Every University building incorporates fire safety measures
• Every College has a fire alarm system, including smoke and heat detectors, and red break glass call points
• It is a criminal offence to tamper with alarm systems. Covering smoke detectors may put you at risk if a fire breaks out
• Don't smoke or vape inside
• Don't wedge fire doors open. They are there to protect escape routes by holding fire back
• Don't set off the fire alarm unless there is a fire. You could prevent the Fire Service from attending an actual fire or an accident
• Take care not to set off fire alarms by mistake, e.g. when you are cooking. Don't leave anything unattended on the hob, and don't cook while drunk - get a takeaway! Steam from showers and aerosol sprays can also set off smoke detectors, so open a window and don't spray anything underneath the detector
• International adaptors and block adaptors are banned from the University
• Don't leave your laptop on the bed because it may overheat
• Do use a heatproof mat for appliances such as hair straighteners and make sure they're off and cooled down before you leave the room
• Cheap chargers can start a fire so only use 'official' safety-tested chargers
• Candles are prohibited in any University building. LED ones are available
• Familiarise yourself with the location of your nearest fire exits as you may not be able to leave by the usual route in the event of a fire

For more fire safety advice, contact Allen Armstrong (Senior Fire Safety Engineer) at allen.c.armstrong@durham.ac.uk.

If you're living out, you can request a free Safe and Wellbeing Visit from the Fire Service.

Find out more about Safety in the Home and Community.