Homelessness organisation Derventio Housing Trust has launched a hard-hitting safety video warning residents of the dangers of electric scooters and e-bikes following a serious house fire at one of its properties.
Derventio provides accommodation across five UK counties to around 1200 people a year who would otherwise be homeless, much of it in shared housing.
The housing trust has commissioned the video to warn residents of the extreme fire risks posed by electric vehicles when they are plugged in to charge.
Leaders at Derventio said they wanted to make the video to explain to residents why electric scooters and e-bikes are banned in all its properties.
In July last year a resident living in a Derventio Housing Trust property in Swindon caused a serious fire after plugging in an e-scooter to charge which then burst into flames.
The fire quickly took control and residents had to flee for safety. Fortunately, no-one was hurt.
The housing provider has also had to seize e-scooters found in its properties in the Midlands.
Derventio Housing Trust managing director Sarah Hernandez said: “We felt it was important to make it clear to residents why electric scooters and e-bikes are strictly not allowed in any of our properties. They are a serious fire risk and that was unfortunately proved last year in one of our houses in Swindon. No-one was injured in that fire, but they could have been. We have created this video to make it clear to residents just how dangerous these vehicles are.”
Derventio Housing Trust secured a grant from the Electrical Safety Fund to make the video. To create the campaign they commissioned Derbyshire behaviour change marketing company MacMartin, which worked with ’AV IT Media on the shoot.
Electric scooters and e-bikes are fitted with lithium-ion batteries which can explode, causing fires which quickly fill a room with thick, toxic smoke and are hard to extinguish.
Sarah Hernandez added: “Residents who come to live in Derventio Housing Trust properties have already been through a lot in their lives. Many have suffered broken down relationships. They may have lost their job, their marriage, their family, and finally, their home. It is very important they feel secure in our properties as we support them in a better future. They need to know that electric scooters and e-bikes are banned on our properties for the safety of everyone who lives there.
“Not just that, we want to make it clear to residents that if they do cause these fires by ignoring our rules and bringing electric scooters or e-bikes to our properties, they will lose their accommodation, face criminal charges and find it very hard to secure other housing in the future. Many landlords and housing providers will not accept people with convictions linked to arson or reckless endangerment.”
The Electrical Safety Fund has praised the “impactful” video which effectively brings home a hard-hitting message.
The short film depicts residents living in a shared Derventio Housing Trust home who suffer the consequences when their housemate brings an e-scooter into his room and plugs it in to charge, only to see it explode into flames seconds later.
At the end of the film, the housemate who has caused the fire is shown filled with remorse at the consequences of his actions.
Derventio will be showing the film to all residents and it will form part of its onboarding procedure for people who are coming to live in one of its properties for the first time.
Anna Hutton, director of communications and behaviour change at MacMartin, said: “We were very proud to have been commissioned to create this video on behalf of Derventio Housing Trust.
“It became very clear during our research how e-scooter and e-bike batteries pose a serious risk to householders’ welfare, and we believe our hard-hitting campaign really brings the safety message home.”
Mark Averill from ’AV IT Media said: “We were really happy with how the video turned out and delighted to be involved. I hope it does a good job for Derventio Housing Trust in conveying how serious these fires are.”
This story was written and shared on behalf of Derventio Housing Trust by Lucy Stephens. Can we share your news and get you in the headlines too? Find out how we can help by getting in touch.
