Getting home Safely

At the end of the night your normal aim is to get home as fast as possible but a small amount of thought can make it a whole lot safer.  These may seem like really simple and obvious things to do but that doesn't mean you always do them.
 

• Stick with your friends, if you lose them don't just go home alone.  Phone for a taxi and ask for a description of the car which will pick you up.  If you are leaving a club or bar, you can also explain to staff that you are alone and ask if you can wait with staff until your taxi arrives. 
• Get a bus or a taxi home with your friends, quick and safe.
• If you walk home stay to the well lit areas, ideally main road that have passing traffic.
• Have the numbers of a few taxi firms in your phone and in your purse or wallet (in case your battery runs out!).

For more top tips check out our getting home safely information page.

 

First Aid

Knowing simple First Aid can save lives.  Easy things like learning the recovery position or knowing what to do with a large cut can make what seems like an alarming situation into a relatively simple one.  

If you would like to know how to provide basic first aid then why not attend the full day traning course run by St John Ambulance through SORTED.  There is a charge of £23.50 for this course but you will receive a First Aid Certificate if you complete the course.
 

Fire Safety
 

Students are involved in lots of fires every year both in halls and in privately rented accommodation.  Most of these fires can be avoided with a little bit of common sense. 
 

• Make sure that your smoke alarm is working, check it every couple of weeks.
• Never disable a smoke alarm or cover it, it could end up saving your life. 
• Cooking when you get in at 3am when you've been out drinking is not a good idea.  Many student have put some chips in the oven or toast under the grill only to fall asleep and set the kitchen on fire.  If you really have to eat something after a night out then let someone else do the cooking for you and go to one of Bath's take-away shops before you leave town. 

False alarms aren't funny.  They can lead to the fire brigade not being able to attend actually fires.


 

Protect your possessions
 

Your mobile, computer, tv, designer clothes or wallet are very important to you but if you don't look after them they could become someone elses.
 

• Keep your room locked.  Even if you're just popping to someone elses room for 5 mins, that's all the time it takes for your laptop to be taken.
• Don't prop doors open.  The reason every flat in halls has a locked door is to make sure that only the right people get in.  Propping it open is an invitation to anyone to come in.
• When out don't leave your bag unattended.
• Tag your electronics with a UV pen.  The principle here is that you mark your postcode followed by the house number or name with an UV pen which is invisible to the naked eye.