Our Fire Protection and Compliance team in Asset Management play a key role in keeping our customers safe.

From testing alarms to reviewing reports to staying on top of evolving regulations, their day is a mix of responsibility and teamwork.

This behind-the-scenes blog follows Lukasz Mankowski and Stephen Lancaster, showing a typical day in their roles, highlighting the essential work they do that helps keep customers safe.

The daily routine

Lukasz says, “My day starts around 7 am. I spend Tuesdays – Fridays conducting fire tests in the communal areas of customer homes. On Tuesdays and Wednesdays, I carry out around 50-70 tests. in Leeds. On Thursdays and Fridays, I travel further to carry out tests in other areas, such as Harrogate, Ripon, and Wakefield. I dedicate Mondays to administrative tasks, training, and meetings.

“After I complete each test, I fill out a report on my tablet and send it directly to my colleagues. I also review all reports from the previous week of testing and upload them to our internal system.

“Though I work independently most of the time, I communicate regularly with my managers, Neighbourhood Officers and other internal and external teams.

“I also make sure all emergency lighting is working, and any fire-related signage is up to date and in place in the communal areas.”

Staying safe and prepared

“Before I begin my day, I make sure I’m equipped with all the required Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). That includes ear protection and safety shoes. Wearing the right PPE is essential for staying safe, especially if there’s a poorly lit or a cluttered communal space.”

Challenges

“One of the more challenging aspects of the job is dealing with obstructions in communal areas. If I see an obstruction, I will take a picture, report it to the Neighbourhood Officer who covers that area and then leave an obstruction card highlighting the danger. If the item hasn’t been removed when I visit the following week, I will send another photo to the relevant Neighbourhood Officer.

“Faulty lighting or unresponsive alarms can pose real safety risks. If I come across any faulty fire alarms or fire panels, I report them to our external agency, Fieldway, who handle individual units.”

Raising awareness

“The best part of the job is knowing I’m making a difference. Fire safety might not seem exciting to everyone, but it’s critical work. I take pride in raising awareness and ensuring that customers live in safer environments. Every test, every report and every email – it all adds up to something meaningful.”

We also spoke with Fire and Compliance Officer Stephen Lancaster, who shares similar responsibilities to Lukasz but manages other areas of safety.

“Part of my role includes Portable Appliance Testing (PAT). This means I’ll check appliances like office equipment and white goods at our office hubs, as well as the Community Spaces team’s gardening equipment.

“Alongside PAT testing, I help contractors get the access they need for services such as gas and electrical safety inspections, asbestos checks and lift repairs.

“I provide monthly meter readings in communal areas for over 50 homes. This has resulted in savings of several hundred pounds per month, which is reflected in reduced service charges for these homes.

“I also conduct water flush tests. This is where I’ll run the taps in communal areas of the homes as well as our offices to prevent legionella and other bacterial build-ups.

“As we’re on site daily, it provides the opportunity to report on things like:

• Waste
• Fly-tipping
• Property damage
• Damp and mould start indicators
• Anti-social behaviour (ASB) evidence
• Minor repairs
• Light bulb changes
• Re-fixing thumb-turn knobs on communal doors.
• Tightening door handle screws
• Disposing of litter and junk mail

Fire safety awareness

“Making customers aware of fire safety is important. Our fire safety leaflet provides information on fire safety including fire doors and how to check if these are in good condition.”

You can contact our Repairs Team to report a fault or worries about your flat fire door or any other communal fire door in your block:

• by telephone on 0113 386 1000
• by emailing us at repairs@leedsfed.com

Take a look at our fire safety leaflet