Emergency Procedures

MaintenanceOS is designed to handle emergencies safely and compliantly. This guide covers the critical procedures every team member should know.

Emergency Contact Numbers

Always call 999 first for immediate danger to life.

Emergency

Number

When to Call

Gas leak / carbon monoxide

0800 111 999 (National Gas Emergency)

Smell gas, CO alarm sounding

Fire

999

Any fire, smoke, burning smell

Electrical emergency

105 (Power Cut) / 999 if danger

Exposed wires, sparking, shock risk

Water main burst

Local water company emergency

Uncontrolled flooding

Structural collapse risk

999

Building movement, major cracks

MaintenanceOS Emergency Flow

1. Emergency Repair Reported

• Tenant/contractor reports via portal, phone, or email

• Safety keywords (gas, fire, flood, collapse, electrical) → Auto-triggers Safety Latch

• Repair status: Safety Hold (cannot be assigned)

• Immediate notifications: All Admins + Safety Officer (email + SMS + Slack/Teams)

2. Safety Officer Review (Target: < 30 minutes)

1. Open repair → Safety Hold banner → "Review"

2. Assess: Is 999 already called? Is property evacuated?

3. If not already done → Call appropriate emergency service

4. Select qualified emergency contractor (Gas Safe, NICEIC, etc.)

5. Add mandatory clearance note

6. Clear Hold → Repair becomes Emergency priority

3. Emergency Assignment

• Only contractors with emergency availability and correct certifications shown

• Contractor must acknowledge within 30 minutes

• SLA: On site within 2–4 hours (gas: 1 hour)

• Contractor receives: Property access, tenant contact, safety notes

4. On Site & Resolution

• Contractor updates: En Route → On Site → Completed

• Photos mandatory for emergency repairs

• If further danger found → New Safety Latch triggered

• Completion notes must include: Cause, fix, certification references

5. Post-Emergency

• Safety Officer reviews within 24 hours

• Tenant welfare check (automated prompt)

• Compliance certificates updated (Gas Safe, EICR, etc.)

• Incident logged in Reports → Safety Incidents

Specific Emergency Protocols

Gas Leak / Carbon Monoxide

1. Tenant instruction (auto-sent): "Open windows, don't use switches, evacuate, call 0800 111 999"

2. Safety Latch: Gas Emergency (highest priority)

3. Contractor: Gas Safe registered (CKR1 for boilers)

4. Post-fix: Gas Safe certificate uploaded, CO alarm tested

5. Never clear hold without Gas Safe engineer

Major Water Leak / Flood

1. Safety Latch: Water + Electrics if near electrical

2. Contractor: Plumbing + Electrical (or two contractors)

3. Priority: Stop water → Make safe → Dry → Repair

4. Document: Photos of damage, moisture readings

5. Insurance: Auto-creates claim reference if enabled

Fire Damage

1. 999 first — MaintenanceOS never delays fire response

2. Safety Latch: Fire Safety (structural, electrical, smoke)

3. Contractor: Fire restoration specialist + Structural engineer if needed

4. Post-fix: Fire risk assessment review, EICR, building control notification

Structural Instability

1. Safety Latch: Structural

2. Evacuate if imminent risk — 999

3. Contractor: Structural engineer + Groundworks

4. Building Control notification required

5. No re-entry until engineer certifies safe

No Heating in Winter (Oct–Mar)

1. Safety Latch: Winter Heating (if tenant vulnerable)

2. Contractor: Gas Safe / OFTEC (heating engineer)

3. SLA: 4 hours (vulnerable), 24 hours (standard)

4. Temporary heaters provided if >24 hours (policy dependent)

Out-of-Hours Coverage

Standard plans: Emergency contractor network with 24/7 availability

• Contractors opt-in to emergency rota

• Rota managed in Settings → Contractors → Emergency Rota

• Escalation: Primary → Secondary → On-call Manager

Professional/Enterprise: Dedicated 24/7 support desk option

Emergency Spend Authority

Asbestos disturbance

999 + HSE 0300 003 1647

Suspected asbestos release

Role

Limit (per repair)

Approval

Safety Officer

£2,000

Self-authorised (note required)

Admin

£5,000

Self-authorised

Manager

£500

Requires Admin approval

Above limits: Emergency authorisation via Slack/Teams/email to Admin — reply "APPROVE [amount]" within 15 minutes.

Communication Templates

Tenant notification (auto):

"EMERGENCY REPAIR: We've received a report of [issue] at your property. Emergency services [have been/are being] contacted. A qualified contractor will attend within [timeframe]. Your safety is our priority. Reply HELP for assistance."

Contractor brief (auto):

"EMERGENCY JOB: [Property address] — [Issue description]. Safety Latch: [type]. Tenant: [name, phone, vulnerability flags]. Access: [instructions]. Required cert: [Gas Safe/NICEIC/etc.]. Target on-site: [time]. Reply ACK to accept."