Channel 4 - 1900 House


1. The Cellar 2. The Kitchen Range 3. Other Risks in the Kitchen 4. The Scullery 5. Drying Clothes 6. The Bathroom 7. The Medicine Cabinet and Medical Treatment 8. Fireplaces 9. Gas Lights 10. Oil Lamps 11. Rugs 12. The Upstairs Landing 13. Visitors 14. Health and Safety Monitoring 15. Fire Extinguishers 16. Alarm Systems 17. In Case of Crisis or Emergency		The 1900 House operates exactly as a house of a hundred years ago, which means it does not always conform to modern standards of health and safety. For this reason, a safety advisor was hired to help minimise any risks for those working and living in the house. This document is a summary of the safety advisor's report and details precautions that should be taken at all times in the house to maintain a safe working environment.

		1. The Cellar The cellar has very steep stairs and low beams. Because of this, coal will be kept in a bunker in the back garden rather than in the cellar. The bunker has different sections for the different sorts of coal available: anthracite, bituminous, coalite, etc. The cellar houses the mains switch for the gas supply. The gas must be switched off each night and turned on again before the gas lights are lit the next day. Only adults are permitted to turn the gas supply on and off. The cellar is out of bounds to children and must be kept locked at all times. Paul Bowler will keep the key. An electric light-bulb operated by a switch inside the cellar door has been installed and should be used whenever anyone goes down to the cellar.

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		2. The Kitchen Range • The range must only be lit and operated by adults. • The fire-guard in front of the range must be kept in place at all times. • The range has two hot-plates on the top, an oven and a back boiler which provides hot water to the hot tap in the upstairs bathroom and to a wall tap to the left of the range. • A thermostatic alarm has been fitted to the hot water pipe coming from the range. If the water gets too hot the alarm will sound and water must be drawn off from the boiler by running the taps. Only adults should perform this procedure. • If additional hot water is needed, it can be heated in a pot on the top of the range. Again children are prohibited from heating water. • The range oven is not fan-assisted. To ensure thorough cooking, food must be rotated in the oven during cooking.

		3. Other Risks in the Kitchen • To maintain hygiene, everyone in the house should wash their hands with antibacterial carbolic soap after using the toilet and before cooking or eating. • If water or other liquids are spilled on the kitchen floor it could become slippery. Please mop up all spills immediately. • The kitchen has been supplied with enamel saucepans and pots. If these become chipped they could present a health hazard, so please let one of the 1900 House television production team know and they will be replaced.

		4. The Scullery • The scullery sink is exactly as it would have been in 1900, that is much smaller than modern sinks. Washing-up may need to be done at a slower pace than normal to because of this. • Again, water spills onto the scullery floor could make it slippery. Please mop up spills immediately.

		5. Drying clothes • The scullery has been equipped with several clothes horses which may be needed in the event of wet weather. • Never dry clothes by hanging them on fireguards or near to an open flame. • If drying is done inside the house, please ventilate rooms well afterwards to minimise the chances of mould developing.

		6. The Bathroom • Always run the cold tap with the hot tap when running a bath to prevent the risk of scalding. • The hot water tank is situated above the bath, over-hanging the bath. Please take care not to bang your head on the tank when getting into and out of the bath.

		7. The Medicine Cabinet and Medical Treatment • The house is equipped with a medical cabinet containing period medicines and first aid materials. • In case of minor medical need you should first consult the advice books for period remedies and establish whether the medicine cabinet contains the relevant treatments. (In many cases we have not been able to supply recommended substances as they are now deemed dangerous, and some are even illegal). Where you have the relevant remedy, you should feel free to self-administer it. The House's medical supplies have been vetted by Dr Long (who will be monitoring your health during your stay in the 1900 House) and are safe to use. • If your medical condition continues or you have more serious medical concerns, drop a note to the local doctor and she will visit you at the house. • Any more worrying medical concerns should be addressed immediately. The local surgery is only ten minutes away. • A modern first aid kit containing burn relief cream has been placed in the larder in the kitchen. This may be used at your own discretion, if you feel you do not have time to research the 1900 alternative. • In case of a medical emergency see section on emergency procedures below.

		8. Fireplaces • There are open fireplaces both downstairs and upstairs in the house. They all have fire-guards which should be kept in place at all times. Only adults should light, maintain and stoke the fires. • In 1900 people generally only used the fireplaces in downstairs rooms. However, you may wish to use the fires in upstairs bedrooms in cases of extreme cold, or if someone is poorly. In this case there is a set of tongs, poker, brush and hot ash receptacle in the master bedroom which can be used in any of the bedrooms but only by adults.

		9. Gas Lights • The ground floor rooms are lit by gas mantles which are of the period but newly made. • Operation of the gas lamps, including replacing mantles will be demonstrated. • Only adults are permitted to light the gas lamps. • Once the mains gas supply has been turned on in the cellar, each lamp should be 'listened to' to make sure that its own switch is off. If it hisses then the switch is on, and must be turned off before lighting. Likewise, all gas lamps must be switched off before the gas supply at the mains is closed. • On and off positions on the gas switches of each lamp are indicated by a small tag. • A stock of new mantles are kept in the house.

		10. Oil Lamps • The house is equipped with several oil lamps: two very large ones in the downstairs parlour which must not be carried when lit, and some smaller ones which are portable. Only adults are permitted to fill, light and carry oil lamps. • If children need to light their way around the house they may only carry candles in candle holders. • The large oil lamps can be filled in the kitchen but must be lit in situ in the parlours. They are currently placed in safe positions on very stable pieces of furniture - the piano in the front parlour and the sideboard in back parlour. They should always remain in these positions once lit.

		11. Rugs • There are rugs on the floors throughout the house. They are a potential tripping hazard, so please take care.

		12. The Upstairs Landing • There is a wall mounted 'sconce' (candle holder with glass cover) in the darkest part of the upstairs landing. Only adults are permitted to light and replace the candle in this.

		13. Visitors • Visitors to the 1900 House need to be informed of the Health and Safety risks within the house. For this purpose we have provided a 'visitors book' to be kept on the stand in the entrance hall. Inside the book is a guide to visitors explaining how they should conduct themselves within the house. This should be shown to all visitors , and they must sign to say that they have read it.

		14. Health and Safety Monitoring • The 1900 House television production crew will keep a log of all difficulties and incidents that occur in the house on a daily basis, however small, which may indicate a future problem. • The details will be logged in a book which will be regularly checked to inform 1900 House if further health and safety measures need implementing.

		15. Fire Extinguishers • There are six fire extinguishers (two water, two carbon dioxide and two powder) and four fire blankets in the house. Their exact positions will be shown to the family when they move in. The family will also receive fire training.

		16. Alarm Systems • The 1900 House is equipped with comprehensive detection and alarm systems for heat, smoke, carbon monoxide and gas. There is also an intruder alarm, which must be set when the house is empty. • The fire alarm system. On the ground floor there are heat detectors on the ceilings of all rooms. Upstairs there are heat and smoke detectors on the ceilings of all rooms. If any of these are triggered an alarm will sound. The particular detector which has been triggered will flash with a small red light. The control panel for the fire alarm system is located in the linen cupboard outside the master bedroom. The master control key which disables the fire alarm system will be given to Joyce Bowler for safe keeping. • Gas monitoring system. There are natural gas monitors/alarms on the ceilings of the downstairs hall and upstairs landing. If triggered, the monitors will give out an alarm and flash with a red light. In addition the gas mains supply switch in the cellar will automatically be switched off. • Carbon monoxide monitoring system. There are carbon monoxide monitors/alarms on the ceilings of the downstairs hall and upstairs landing. As with the gas monitors, if triggered they will give out an alarm and flash a red light. • If any of the alarms sound, follow the emergency procedures below.

		17. In Case of Crisis or Emergency • For a good proportion of the time that the Bowlers are in the 1900 House they will have a member of the 1900 House television production team with them. If an emergency occurs in these circumstances, there will be easy access to a mobile phone, car, etc. • However, there will be several days a week when the Bowlers will be in the house on their own. If a crisis or emergency occurs during these times, how ever small, and the Bowlers feel they need to break the Rules of the Experiment there is a telephone in the boxroom (where the filming equipment is stored) and a list of emergency phone numbers. Inside the security cage in the equipment room there are electrical switches which will turn on the filming lights around the house. • Keys to the equipment room and security cage are in a 'break glass' box in the laundry cupboard. • In event of a medical emergency or any crisis which requires outside help, it is advised that the Bowlers break the glass, get the keys, unlock the equipment room and security cage, turn on the filming lights and make any necessary phone calls. If possible, this should include a call to the television production team at 1900 House to let them know what has happened. • In the event of the fire alarm going off, even if the Bowlers are unsure of the source, it is advised that they leave the building as fast as possible, stopping at the coat stand in the entrance hall of the house to pick up the emergency envelope stored in the top draw. Inside this envelope is a list of emergency numbers, the key to the 1900 House production office and a map showing you how to get there. Once out of the house it is advised that a phone call is made to the fire brigade as soon as possible, preferably from a neighbour's house. If no neighbours are available then go to the production office and make your calls from there. Also call a member of the 1900 House television production team to let them know what has happened. Once the fire brigade have been to investigate and have deemed the house safe, the fire alarm must be reset. A member of the 1900 House production team will do this at the soonest possible opportunity. • In the event of a fire starting in the house, it is advised that the Bowlers follow the same procedures as they would if the fire alarm sounded. They should leave the house immediately and call the fire brigade. However, if Joyce or Paul feel confident that the fire is containable, one of them could stay behind to tackle it with the available fire extinguishers and blankets. The should never put themselves at risk, and always make sure they have a clear escape route behind them. If they fail to contain the fire with the available equipment they must leave the building, if possible closing doors behind them as they go. • In the event of the carbon monoxide or gas detectors going off, the family should also leave the house immediately , preferably after some windows have been opened to ventilate the house. The emergency pack must be taken from the coat stand. The fire brigade should be called, although they will be unable to remedy the cause of the leak. A member of the 1900 House production team must be called and they will arrange for an expert to come and investigate the reason for the alarm going off. They will then reset the monitoring systems.