On 1st October the Building Safety Act comes into force – you may well have received various pieces correspondence from HML about this since the beginning of the year
By virtue of being over 18m high Regatta Point is designated a Higher-Risk Building (HRB) under the Act and must therefore be registered with the Building Safety Regulator. After 30th September it will be an offence to allow an HRB to be occupied if it is not registered.
We started the registration process some months ago. This is to inform you that as part of this process a Fire Risk Assessment of the external walls of the building is being carried out on 16th & 17th August, which will involve drilling small holes in the walls at various locations. The Assessors will need to access to a representative number of flats (3 in each block) and balconies to carry out their work, which we will arrange individually in the coming week.
Please note that due to the danger of fire that they present it is prohibited to charge, store or park e-bikes or e-scooters:
anywhere in the common parts of Regatta Point – the entrance lobby, staircases, corridors and lift lobbies. These are all fire escape routes
on the balconies on the rear of the building.
Any discovered will be removed to outside without further notice.
e-Scooters and e-Bikes.
We attended over 116 fires involving e-Scooters and e-Bikes in 2022. Firefighters have been called to an e-scooter or e-bike fire every two days since the start of 2023.
Charging your e-Bike or e-Scooter
The majority of fires related to e-bikes and e-scooter have happened in homes. These fires are often caused when charging batteries.
Please pay special attention to bike conversion kits. Do not attempt to modify or tamper with the battery. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
Reduce the risk of overheating
Batteries can get warm during their use. Allow them to cool down before attempting to re-charge.
Batteries should always be charged on hard flat surfaces where heat can dissipate.
Batteries can also pose a risk if they have been damaged, so try to ensure they are not getting knocked around while in use or while being carried.
Batteries should also never be exposed to extremes of temperature.
Follow the instructions
Always follow manufacturers’ instructions when charging
Never leave it charging unattended or charge it while you are asleep.
You should always make sure you unplug your charger once it’s finished charging.
Always use the correct charger for your batteries and buy any replacements from a reputable seller.
Where to charge your batteries
Never block your escape route with e-bikes or e-scooters
Store and charge them somewhere away from a main through route or exit
Make sure you and your family have an escape plan in place in the event of a fire. Always call 999, never try to fight the fire yourself.
Using your e-bikes or e-scooter
In 2021 Transport for London (TfL) banned e-scooters from London’s transport network. This is due to a number of fires on the network involving these vehicles. This means you’re unable to take your electric personal vehicles on any TfL service. You can read TfL’s full guidance on e-scooters on their site.
Not all personal electric vehicles, such as e-scooters and e-unicycles are road legal in the UK. This means you can be fined by the police for using them on the road in the UK. Always check to see if you can use your vehicle on public roads.
Now that the summer weather is finally here, a reminder regarding barbecues
Regatta Point has two portable barbecues available for residents to borrow. If you would like to make use of them please contact the caretaker for more information.
The barbecues are to be used only on the eastern lawn, and must be returned CLEANED. We also have some tables that you can borrow if you wish to entertain. Plastic glasses must be used as no glass is permitted in the gardens.
Please remember to tidy up afterwards, removing any food waste to the main bin rooms so as not to attract foxes. Please also keep noise to a minimum.
Please note that as a condition of our Building Insurance Policy, and as London Fire Brigade advice, barbecues of any sort are strictly forbidden on the wooden balconies of the building due to the fire hazard they present. They are also unpleasant for your neighbours.
A reminder that the fire door inspection is taking place next week, on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. This is to ensure that all of the apartment entrance doors meet the required standards. Please ensure that you have booked a slot, as if the inspector is unable to gain access then you will be charged for a revisit.
This is now a statutory requirement and will take place every year.
The Building Safety Act 2022 came into force in January to put into action some of the lessons learnt from the Grenfell disaster. Our building is subject to this new legislation, and as a result of this you will have seen that new fire signage has gone up and new testing regimes introduced. This is to clarify to residents what they should do in the event of a fire:
If a fire breaks out in your flat: Leave the room where the fire is straight away, then close the door. Tell everyone in your flat and get them to leave. Close the flat entrance door behind you. Do not stay behind to put the fire out. Do not use the lift. Wait outside, away from the building. Call the fire service – dial 999 or 112.
If you see or hear of a fire in another part of the building: The building is designed to contain a fire in the flat where it starts. This means it will usually be safe for you to stay in your flat if the fire is elsewhere. You must leave immediately if smoke or heat affects your home, or if you are told to leave by the fire service. Do not use the lift. If in doubt – get out.
To call the fire service: Dial 999 or 112. When the operator answers, give your telephone number and ask for the fire service. When the fire service reply, give the postcode and address where the fire is. Do not end the call until the fire service has repeated the address correctly. Do not assume that someone else has called the fire service – make the call.
Fire Alarms Smoke or fire in the common parts will activate the fire alarm system and open the smoke vents. There are no manual activation points. Alarm sounders are only within the common parts, not within the flats. Smoke detectors in flats are stand alone and are not connected to the common parts system. The alarm system will not automatically call the fire service.
