News
Newcastle restaurant owner fined for fire safety breaches.
A Newcastle restaurant owner has been fined £32,000 after admitting providing unsafe sleeping accommodation above his restaurant that was used by staff. Angur Miah pleaded guilty to 16 offences when he appeared before Newcastle magistrates last month (March 2012). He was fined £32,000 and also had to pay £5,215 in costs.
Fire crews attended a fire at his property in February 2011, and identified a number of fire safety breaches which led them to request the attendance of a specialist fire safety officer. The conditions were so serious that a Prohibition Notice was served preventing Mr Miah from using the upstairs rooms as sleeping accommodation. A subsequent inspection by fire officers identified that Mr Miah had ignored the Notice, and continued to place his staff at risk.
A fire risk assessment must be undertaken which identifies risks to anyone who uses any given building – this is usually the responsibility of the owner or responsible person. Failure to provide such an assessment can lead to fines such as this, or even imprisonment.
Management Agent Fined - June 2011
London based Managing Agent, Douglas and Gordon Limited, which manages Gloucester Terrace in Westbourne Green, West London, was fined £100,000 and ordered to pay costs of £12,880 by Southwark Crown Court on 29th June after admitting to multiple breaches of the Fire Safety Order 2005.
Among other breaches, the London Fire Brigade (LFB) accused the company of not acting on the recommendations of a fire risk assessment.
The fire service was alerted to the breaches after a blaze in one of the flats in Gloucester Terrace. The assistant commissioner for fire safety at LFB, warned people with an interest in a house of multiple occupancy to ensure that they adhere to laws and regulations.
Padiham lady in a critical condition after house fire
Smoke Detectors Save Lives
On Sunday 17th July 2011, a Padiham lady lay in her bed unaware that downstairs she had left her electric fire on, unfortunately the fire fell over and started a household fire. Due to no Fire Alarms installed, even though the fire was not raging the smoke has left the lady very poorly in hospital due to smoke inhalation. The house is badly damaged by the smoke that spread throughout the home that she shared with her son.
Fire Fighters visited the area the day after to ensure that each household had fitted smoke alarms.
Fire Alarms and Smoke Detectors are essential as they are there to save lives!!!!
Fire Kills - Fire Risk Assessments save Lives!
Some businesses in the UK still look at Fire Risk Assessments as a cost that they do not need, what they do not realise is the cost could be one or more lives of the people as an employer they are responsible for. By law employers have to ensure that their workplace is a safe place to work and has all the preventions in place to prevent accidents and in more extreme cases death.
The Facts about Fire Risk Assessments
Cost should not be an issue, professionally carried out Fire Risk Assessments can prevent heafty fines and most importantly the loss of lives. This means that the cost could be so much higher if employers are found to be responsible for an unsafe place to work.
By investing in a professional Fire Consultant, you are NOT employing 'Big Brother' to come and spy on your workplace to report you the authorities; a Fire Safety Consult is there to help and advise. They will inform you of any preventions that you can put in place to prevent a fire and put safety measures in place to help the evacuation process if there was to be a fire in the workplace. They will check fire safety equipment, advise on what fire safey equipment is needed and ensure that your workplace is safe.
In 2009 the highest fine was a given to highstreet outlet £400,000, so think twice when cutting corners with the prevention of fire in the workplace!
Suspected Arson Attack on Sussex Childrens home
Fire Fighters spent several hours putting out a blaze in a childrens home in Sussex. 15th March 2011
Arson is a serious matter for Fire Fighters and this news is a pure example of how arson can completely disrupt lives. Several hours were spent by Fire Fighters tackling the blaze. Miraculously nobody was hurt in the blaze as the two story building was completely damaged. The correct Fire Safety Procedures were carried out and everyone was evacuated before the Fire Fighters arrived.
To read more on this story visit BBC News
Blaze at historic York city centre pub the Black Swan
Fire Safety is assessed after a fire broke out at the Historic York Pub The Black Swan
Read more at BBC News
Fire can kill your employees
When we talk about Fire Risk Assessments, it is not just about keeping in line with legislation; it is about saving lives in the event of a fire!
Fire Risk assessments are there to save lives; how would you feel if there was a fire on your premises and one of your employees died due to negligence on your part? It is not worth thinking about however, Cotswold Geotechnical Holdings faced charges on the 17th February as an employee died whilst working in a trench. They received a £385,000 fine for not following the correct health and safety regulations.
As reported by the FIA The Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007 states that a company can face prosecution if an employee dies because of a "gross breach of a relevant duty of care owed by the organisation to the deceased".
As we have seen in the recent BBC news, even Fire Fighters are responsible for keeping their colleagues safe whilst fighting a fire. Unfortunately four Fireman Died in 2007 and in April this year fire chiefs in Warwickshire are facing charges of manslaughter by gross negligence.
Their local government body, Warwickshire County Council, will face charges of failing to ensure the health and safety of its employees when the case comes to court in April, according to the BBC read the full story [..here..]
When visiting companies to carry out Fire Risk Assessments, it is quite frightening when you see the most vital life saving equipment not working or procedures not in place to ensure the safety of others. The list is endless, Fire Extinguishers not working or haven't been serviced for sometime, Fire Doors not fitted properly and basics such as fire exits being locked. These are all vital elements to keep your employees and your employees safe in the event of a fire.
A Fire Risk Assessment carried out properly can save lives and prevent the death of others.
Emmerdale blaze spearheads arson awareness plea
As TV soap fans were gripped by the dramatic fire in Emmerdale recently, firefighters from West Yorkshire – where the fictional village is located – are urging people to take some simple steps to reduce the chances of becoming an arson victim.
Craig McIntosh, director of fire safety at West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, said: “Wheelie bins and piles of rubbish left outside are fuel for arsonists. When they are left close to buildings there is potential for the fire to spread, which can lead to devastating damage to property and even the tragic loss of life. Although in Emmerdale the fire setter deliberately targets a particular home, it goes to show how quickly fire can spread from a pile of rubbish outside to the actual property.”
Crews fight naan bread oven fire on New Year’s Day
Around 20 firefighters were called to a fire at Honeytop Foods factory in Dunstable on 1 January.
It started in an industrial bread oven at Woodside Industrial Estate, but quickly spread from the oven flue into the building’s roof void. Firefighters, who were called just before 5pm, used an aerial ladder platform to help them douse the flames.
Dunstable station commander Mark Barter said: "The oven was not being used for production but was undergoing some sort of maintenance apparently when the fire started. Staff attempted to put the fire out but dialled 999 as they realised they needed the fire service. Our crews did an excellent job in containing the fire - it could have been much worse."
Honeytop produces naans and flatbreads that are sold in large UK supermarkets and across Europe.
Source:
Lancashire schools fall short
A total of 13 Lancashire schools have been rapped for failing to meet fire safety standards over the past two years.
Two schools were handed alterations notices to ensure they complied with the Fire Safety Order 2005, while 13 others were found with inadequate fire safety protection. Sacred Heart school, Jamea Masjid (Madrasah), St Patrick’s RC primary, Trumacar Community primary and Al Islah private school were all found to be performing "inadequate fire risk assessments.”
Fire investigators found that staff at the school were not trained adequately to cope in the event of a fire, and that the building’s fire alarms and emergency lighting had not been maintained in accordance with legislation.
However, Richard Stott, general manager at Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, told This is Lancashire that the findings were “minor” and that the schools did not receive prohibition or restriction notices. He said: “Schools in Lancashire generally have an excellent fire safety record and meet the requirements of the law. Inevitably however with such a large number of schools and varying standards and ages of building stock some have been issued with formal or informal notices in order to address any shortfalls. Source: Info4Fire
Karaoke bar posed serious fire risk
February 2011
The owners of a new karaoke bar in Manchester have been prosecuted after being found to have risked the lives of workers and the public through ignoring a string of fire safety procedures during construction.
An investigation by the HSE at the site of the K2 nightclub in Manchester found large quantities of cardboard and other packaging discarded throughout the site. Middleton-based Chi Yip Group Ltd, which has an annual turnover of £35 million, and site manager Marc Royle appeared at Trafford Magistrates’ Court to admit breaching three health and safety regulations each.
When HSE inspectors visited the K2 site they found potentially flammable materials piled high to the ceiling in the basement, escape routes were not marked and in some cases were blocked entirely. The court heard the HSE inspectors were shocked at the scene that confronted them and, had a fire been ignited at the site, the risk to life would have been extremely serious.
The building’s fire alarm had been switched off and the fire extinguishers found on site had not been tested for seven years. HSE immediately issued two prohibition notices closing the site down until significant improvements were made. It took a total of 14 large skips and several people more than two days, working through the night, to clear the waste materials.
The investigating inspector at HSE, said: “We were called in after receiving a complaint about the safety standards on site and were shocked by what we found. The basement and corridors were blocked with waste materials so it would have been extremely difficult to escape in a fire.
“There was a Chinese restaurant open to the public on the first floor and the neighbouring buildings were also occupied. Just one spark could have set light to any of the piles of cardboard, and then dozens of lives would have been put in danger.
“Chi Yip Group and Marc Royle both seemed to be ignorant of the health and safety laws that applied to them, despite having years of experience dealing with construction projects.”
Chi Yip Group Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching Regulations 14(1), 16(a) and 21(1) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007 and was fined £6,000 with costs of £3,313.
Marc Royle pleaded guilty to breaching Regulations 38(a), 39(1) and 41(1) and was fined £450 with costs of £2,710.
Restaurant Pleads Guilty To Breaches Of Fire Safety Regulations
A restaurant owner and a company which she was the director of have been ordered to pay nearly £17,000 in fines and costs after pleading guilty to serious breaches of fire safety legislation following a prosecution brought by the London Fire Brigade. Linda Sade and Solly's Restaurant Limited were prosecuted following a fire at the premises on 24 September 2007.
When fire crews arrived at Solly's Restaurant on Golders Green Road, there were staff still inside the building. Some staff members were tackling the flames with fire extinguishers and had to be escorted out of the property by firefighters.
Crew Manager Paul Rozan who was at the scene said; "I found that the restaurant manager and staff were still in the building when we arrived and they were trying to fight the fire. I immediately asked them to leave but they ignored me and continued either fighting the fire or running around in confusion. I took control of the situation and ordered them out of the building as they were hampering firefighting."
Other firefighters saw staff stopping and collecting personal items before evacuating. The fire badly damaged the roof of the restaurant and six fire engines and around 30 firefighters were needed to bring the fire under control.
Assistant Commissioner for fire safety regulation Steve Turek said: "Not having a clear plan when a fire breaks out can put people's lives at risk. All premises owners and operators must make themselves aware of the regulations, to undertake a fire safety risk assessment, which is now mandatory, act upon its findings and put in place an emergency plan."
The breaches also included an emergency exit that was locked, escape routes being obstructed and an absence of smoke and fire detection.
The London Fire Brigade recorded 166 fires in restaurants (including cafes and takeaway food shops) in the Capital during 2007-8 despite the introduction of the new Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order (RRO) in late 2006, which places new duties on building owners and operators.
The fire at Solly's Restaurant started in the extract ventilation system. It is estimated that over 80 per cent of kitchen extract ducts in the UK are never cleaned and are in a hazardous state.
Steve Turek continued: "A kitchen extract ventilation system draws grease laden air directly from the areas above cookers, grills and fryers via the cooker hood and discharges it into the atmosphere. These grease deposits are easily ignited by even a small flash fire on or in the fryer, hob or grill and flames and heat can then quickly spread through the building, causing substantial damage and endangering lives. A risk assessment should, amongst other things, cover any ventilation system in the premises, the need for it to be maintained and cleaned on a regular basis and also look at whether it may contribute to the spread of fire."
Solly's Restaurant was severely damaged as a result of the fire which meant that the Solly's Restaurant Limited operated at a significant loss during 2008. District Judge Dabar commented that the fines would have been considerably higher if the company had been in the same financial position as it was before the fire.
Sentencing took place at Hendon Magistrates Court on 19 May 2009.
Is your Child Safe from Fire when attending School?
When sending your child to school you have enough to worry about; your child being bullied, how well they are doing classes, homework etc. What you don't need to be worrying about is what would happen if there was a Fire whilst your child was in school.
In the past two years in Lancashire alone, 13 schools have been reported for failing to meet Fire Safety Standards.
All 13 schools were found to be inadequate in their protection against Fire Safety and two of the schools were given alteration notices. As with any business and more importantly in Schools; Fire Risk Assessments are a legal requirement to ensure that people are safe when visiting the premises.
Safety in our state schools should be a must however paying to send your child to a private school you would expect a higher standard of care. This was not the case for one of the schools that was named in the report was, Al Islah Private School who had failed in as many as six areas of the legal Fire Safety requirements and this included emergency fire routes and exits.
You would also expect that staff within schools were adequately trained to cope in the event of a Fire, Fire Alarms were maintained along with Emergency Lighting, Fire Investigations proved otherwise.
The schools have been issued with formal or informal notices in order to address any shortfalls and it has been said that most schools throughout Lancashire do have a very good record for keeping upto date with Fire Legislation.
Macdonald Martin Fire Safety Consultants assess many schools across the UK on a monthly basis and do find that most are compliant with Fire Safety Law. Schools need to remember that it is in the interest of themselves, children and visitors to the school that they have the correct Fire Precautions in place
Macdonald Martin Fire and Safety Consultants win contract for Cashino Gaming Ltd
MacDonald Martin Fire and Safety Consultants Limited have just been awarded a three year service contract for 25 Cashino Gaming Limited sites (part of the Praesepe group of companies). We will be maintaining the Fire Alarm and Emergency Lighting systems as well as the Fire Extinguishers. We look forward to a long and mutually beneficial working relationship, and assisting Cashino in complying
with the requirements of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
Fire Safety in Night Clubs and Pubs
We advise our children to take care when they are on a night out; don't drink too much, don't speak to strangers etc, we don't need the added pressure of worrying if our children are safe in a Pub or Nightclub if there was to be a Fire!
Fire officers in Wales have been extremely vocal about Fire Safety within Nightclubs and Pubs.
Officers were said to be very much “alarmed” from recent audits carried out that revealed the risk of peoples safety if there was to be a Fire in these Licensed Establishments. The Fire Safety Audits revealed Emergency Fire Doors blocked or locked and even Fire Alarms/Emergency Lighting that have not been tested.
Every Licensed Establishment must comply with Fire Safety Legislation and complete a Fire Risk Assessment, this is not about money this is about saving lives in the event of a Fire!
Greggs ordered to pay £50,000 after Fire Safety Breaches
Our major food stores are putting our lives at risk by breaching Fire Safety Laws. Greggs the nationwide Bakers, fined £50,000 for not following serious fire safety breaches
After pleading guilty to serious Fire breaches at one of its stores Greggs the well known bakers has been fined £50,000 and ordered to pay a further £20,326 in costs .
The London Fire Brigade prosecuted Greggs following an audit at their Brentford Branch in November 2008.
Fire safety investigations that were carried out at the Brentford Branch found a number of breaches to Fire Safety Law including a Emergency Fire Door that was locked using 4 padlocks, at the other side of a Fire Exit was a secure door that was locked and corriders were partially blocked with catering crates.
Greggs pleaded guilty to two breaches of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 after appearing at Illsworth Crown Court on the 13th December. These were under point nine, for failings found in its Fire Risk Assessment, and point 14, which referred to emergency routes and exits.
In January 2009a notice was sent to Greggs highlighting a review of their current Fire Risk Assessment, emergency plans and appropriate staff Fire Safety Training.
At Macdonald Martin we wnat to make sure that no business is taking their eye of the ball in the current financial climate, putting peoples life at risk is very serious and every prevention should be put in place to prevent Fire.
Visit Fire Risk Assessments to see how you can prevent receiving a hefty fine
Harrogate Bar Owner Prosecuted
Harrogate bar owner, Ali Ucar, was fined £1,500 and costs of £500 for breaching two enforcement notices served by North Yorks F&RS. Mr Ucar failed to rectify dangerous conditions and allowed people to sleep in the premises, despite there not being an adequate Fire Alarm System, Emergency Lighting or means of escape. A Fire Exit door could not be fully opened and a locked gate blocked escape into the street behind the property.
Unsafe Accomodation - Tyne & Wear
Private rental accommodation currently being occupied by foreign students in Newcastle have been closed down following a routine Fire Safety Inspection by Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service.
The property, Bolam House on Douglas Terrace, just off Westgate Road in Newcastle was inspected by fire safety officers on Tuesday 8 July. On arrival officers found significant breaches of Fire Safety Regulations and served a prohibition notice, rendering the accommodation block as uninhabitable. The notice issued sets out what must be done to safeguard the students and comply with UK safety laws before it can reopen.
Mark Serrard, station manager for Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service, carried out the inspection. He said: "Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service take public safety extremely seriously. We see our role as educating and informing businesses about fire safety but where we see significant risk to the public we will use our powers to close premises down.'
"Tyne and Wear Fire Service will not tolerate such a serious threat to the public. There must be some means of warning the occupants of the building there is a fire, they must be able to leave the building safely without encountering obstructed exits or getting trapped by fire because Fire Doors have been removed. Management of a building must make plans to ensure occupants are safe from fire and blatant disregard for people's safety is not acceptable."
The property was believed to be home to approx 45 overseas students.
On a further visit to the property yesterday fire officers called in the UK Border Agency following concerns over the legal status of some of the occupants. The Police were also called in as were Environmental Health Officers due to concerns over the state of the accommodation.
Cohn Flynn, assistant director of UK Border Agency Operations in Tyne Tees said: "The UK Border Agency is determined to work with other organisations to tackle the wider problems sometimes associated with illegal immigration, such as health and safety breaches. We will seek to remove from the country anyone found to be here illegally."
Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service is now gathering evidence for further enforcement action.
Shell Guilty - Waterloo London
Shell International Ltd was fined £300,000 and order to pay £45,000 costs after pleading guilty to serious breaches of the RRO. The London Fire Brigade prosecuted Shell following two small fires in the space of three weeks in January 2007 at the Shell Centre on York Road. An inspection was then carried out which found escape routes and Fire Exits blocked, defective Fire Doors and excessive fire loading. The fire loading had increased because of refurbishments taking place in the upper floors. The deficiencies were so severe that a prohibition notice was served, restricting the use of Shell Tower and basement levels. Under the notice only people working to remedy the fire safety deficiencies were allowed to enter those parts of the building, whilst staff and members of the public were prevented access until the areas were considered safe enough to occupy. It was also discovered that Shell’s own Fire Risk Assessment had not been reviewed or updated since March 2003. The 2003 fire risk assessment had identified some of the same failings that were observed during the inspection in 2007 and during the following years the general fire precautions in the Tower had deteriorated. Assistant Commissioner Steve Turek said, “Shell failed to respond properly to their risk assessment for three and a half years and had it not been for the fires which led to the inspection, it could have been considerably longer. Had Shell acted upon the findings of the 2003 risk assessment at the time, they would have avoided putting their staff at risk.”
Accrington Landlord in Trouble
The landlord of a commercial property pleaded guilty to seven breaches of fire safety legislation and was fined £670 per offence (a total of £4,690) and ordered to pay costs of more than £2000 by Hyndburn Magistrates.
The seven charges included:
Failing to provide a single risk assessment
Failing to maintain the Fire Alarm System
Failing to provide Emergency Lighting
Failing to provide suitable fire fighting equipment
Storing combustible materials at a means of escape
Failing to provide fire separation
Failing to keep Fire Exits clear and available
Lancashire’s Chief Fire Officer, Peter Holland commented, “I trust that this case will emphasise to other landlords in Lancashire the importance of enforcing fire safety standards. There should be no doubt that the law requires this action, and the public can be assured that we will vigorously pursue our enforcement responsibilities where failings are identified.”
Six Months in Prison for Mansfield Business Man
A businessman was sentenced to six months in prison suspended for two years and ordered 100 hours of community service following breaches of Fire Safety Legislation at his premises. He was also fined a total of £24,000 and had to pay £9,000 costs. Officers had inspected the three storey building and made recommendations which needed completion before the building could be used as an indoor car boot market. Following a complaint the fire officers visited again and found that the premises were being used but the works had not been completed.
A statutory notice was then served to prevent the premises being used until the work was finalised. He was eventually prosecuted when it became apparent that he had ignored the original advice and continued to trade without ensuring his premises were safe. Mark Huckerby, Head of Fire Protection at Nottinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service said “….my officers had previously spend some time ensuring that the occupier was aware of his responsibilities and duties to ensure peoples safety and it is disappointing that he chose to place people at risk from fire.”
Hotelier breaches the Fire Safety Order in Brandon, Ipswich
An hotelier was charged with four breaches of the Fire Safety Order. These included bedrooms without means of escape, inadequate emergency lighting / artificial lighting, incorrect testing of the Fire Alarm System and a prohibition notice being issued to stop the second floor being used.
However he continued to ignore recommendations and Fire Safety Officers believed that the risks would ultimately lead to fire deaths in the hotel.
He was fined a total of £145,000 for the offences and ordered to pay £49,488 to Suffolk Fire & Rescue and £8,039 for legal costs he had claimed and was not entitled to.
Ipswich Company Fined for Nine Offences
A company in Ipswich was fined £20,000 and ordered to pay costs in excess of £7,000 following a guilty plea to nine offences under the Fire Safety Order.
These included an unsuitable risk assessment; inappropriate storage of cylinders and fire doors wedged open; emergency routes blocked or obstructed; exits not sufficiently illuminated; failure to maintain structural fire precautions, alarm systems, emergency lighting and fire fighting equipment; failure to appoint one or more competent persons to assist in preventative and protective measures and inadequate Fire Safety Training provided to employees.
Accommodation in Tyne & Wear Closed Down
Private rental accommodation currently being occupied by foreign students in Newcastle have been closed down following a routine Fire Safety Inspection by Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service.
The property, Bolam House on Douglas Terrace, just oft Westgate Road in Newcastle was inspected by fire safety officers on Tuesday 8 July. On arrival officers found significant breaches of Fire Safety Regulations and served a prohibition notice, rendering the accommodation block as uninhabitable. The notice issued sets out what must be done to safeguard the students and comply with UK Safety Laws before it can reopen.
Mark Serrard, station manager for Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service, carried out the inspection. He said: “Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service take public safety extremely seriously. We see our role as educating and informing businesses about fire safety but where we see significant risk to the public we will use our powers to close premises down.’
“Tyne and Wear Fire Service will not tolerate such a serious threat to the public. There must be some means of warning the occupants of the building there is a fire, they must be able to leave the building safely without encountering obstructed exits or getting trapped by fire because Fire Doors have been removed. Management of a building must make plans to ensure occupants are safe from fire and blatant disregard for people’s safety is not acceptable.”
The property was believed to be home to approx 45 overseas students.
On a further visit to the property yesterday fire officers called in the UK Border Agency following concerns over the legal status of some of the occupants. The Police were also called in as were Environmental Health Officers due to concerns over the state of the accommodation.
Cohn Flynn, assistant director of UK Border Agency Operations in Tyne Tees said: “The UK Border Agency is determined to work with other organisations to tackle the wider problems sometimes associated with illegal immigration, such as health and safety breaches. We will seek to remove from the country anyone found to be here illegally.”
Nursing home fire claims 10 lives
Ten people have died and seven are being treated in hospital following a Fire at a nursing home.
Firefighters were called to Rosepark Care Home in Uddingston, near Glasgow, at 4:37 am on Saturday.
Emergency crews said an "intense" fire broke out in a top floor cupboard in the home and generated a lot of Smoke.
About 23 or 24 residents who were in the privately-run home at the time and were unhurt have been moved to another home nearby.
The Scottish Ambulance Service said 10 people had died at the scene.
Ten people were thought to have been taken to hospital immediately after the fire and seven were still undergoing treatment.
Casualties were taken to Monklands Hospital, Wishaw General Hospital and Glasgow Royal Infirmary.
Police said three were critically ill.
Chief Superintendent Tom Buchan said: "About 4:40 this morning we first received information that there had been a fire at Rosepark Nursing Home and in attendance were fire and police officers.
"Unfortunately we discovered there had been a significant number of fatalities."
He told reporters: "There is cause for concern for at least one person in hospital, bearing in mind these are elderly people.
"It was not as you would call a significant fire in the sense the premises were destroyed.
"There is in fact very little damage."
Mr Buchan said an incident room has been set up and officers were offering assistance to concerned relatives.
A dedicated helpline set up for friends and families of residents at the privately-run home has already received more than 300 calls.
Alan Forbes, of Strathclyde Fire Brigade, said: "Firefighters discovered a small but intense fire in one of the wings, which is quite a new building, a purpose-built care home, which opened in 1992.
"Over 40 firefighters assisted ambulance crews in getting casualties out of the building and into the ambulances."
Restaurant Owners Fined
Two restaurant owners on the Isle of Wight have been fined after jointly admitted an offence relating to Fire Safety Regulations in a prosecution brought by the Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service.
Despite being adviced not to let a room above the restaurant to be used as a sleeping accommodation after inspection , a subsequent visit by a fire safety officer found Abdul Kalam and Salim Islam had ignored the instruction.
Commenting on the prosecution, Graham Orchard of the Isle fof Wight Fire and Rescue Service said safety regulations for licensed premises are there to serve a purpose. "This prosecution demostrates we take the safety of our business communties and member of the public very seriously", he said "Despite repeated warnings and visits, the first floor of the Saffron continued to used for sleeping accommodation, which put at risk those who used the property".
Management Company Convicted in Wiltshire
Publicana Ltd, management company for the Little George pub has been convicted of breaching Fire Safety law by North Wiltshire magistrates.
The offences were discovered after Wiltshire Fire and Rescue attended an incident at the pub and a subsequent investigation discovered that fire doors and fire exits had been screwed shut or left propped open and that escape routes were obstructed. They also found that the Fire Protection Systems had not been maintained and they failed to carry out a Fire Risk Assessment. In addition to these failures there were no protection policies or prevention measure in place. Publicana Ltd was also charged with failing to provide suitable and sufficient information for the licensee it had contracted to run the pub on its behalf.
Publicana Ltd was ordered to pay £15,000 in fines and all costs.
Julian Parson, Group Manager of Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Services technical fire safety department said – “What this case has shown very clearly is that management companies always have a duty to ensure that public safety is not compromised, even if they have sub-contracted someone else to act as licensee.”
“since these offences came to light, the Little George pub has changed its management and subsequent Inspections have shown that the issues highlighted by this case have been addressed. In addition, Publicana Ltd, which was co-operative throughout the investigation has introduced stringent new management procedures to ensure that something like this never happen again in the premises it is responsible for.”
Malfax Investments to Pay 21,000 in Fines because not safe from Fire.
Malfax Investment Limited, who own a hotel in Bayswater, admitted six offences under FSO (Fire Safety Order) and was ordered to pay £21,000 in fines and costs following a prosecution brought by the London Fire Brigade.
The Averard Hotel in Lancaster Gate was inspected by fire officers who found a number of fire safety failing including inadequate fire detection and alarms systems, problems with the external means of escape and inadequate and defective fire doors. As a result of these deficiencies the officers issued an enforcement notice detailing the issues and when they are needed to be completed by.
The company disclosed a Fire Risk Assessment that detailed a number of failings and advised steps they needed to take to address them. Malfax Investments Limited failed to act on the findings and implement any of the actions required to ensure people’s safety in the event of a fire occurring.
The hotel closed shortly after the enforcement notice was issued.
London Fire Brigade’s Assistant Commissioner for Fire Safety Regulation, Steve Turek, said: “The general public should feel safe from fire when they are staying at a hotel and the responsible person must make sure their premises comply with the regulations. All premises owners and operators must undertake a fire risk assessment. Although, this was completed in this case, it is no use if the responsible person does not act on its findings.”
Fire Risk Assessments How To Carry Out Fire Safety Risk Assessments
Fire Risk Assessments are now a legal requirement for all businesses in the UK.
The law changed in 2006 and all employers are now obliged to assess the risk of fire in their work premises and put in place measures to manage and minimise any risks identified. This is an important change which sends a clear message to employers that they are the ones who are responsible for the safety of their employees in terms of fire risks. Part of the duties of the local fire authorities is now to check and make sure that all employers have complied with this legislation. That usually involves asking to see a copy of the fire risk assessment.
Legislation is already in place covering the need to carry out risk assessments generally in the workplace, and the fire risk assessment is based on the same principles. There is a recommended process to go through, but the purpose, as with all risk assessments, is to identify all possible risks to people and take steps to reduce the chances of those risks happening.
In order to carry out a Fire risk assessment; the legislation governing them states that they should be undertaken by a ‘competent person’. It is perfectly reasonable to carry out your own assessment, provided you have a reasonable knowledge of fire safety and a relatively straightforward workplace. It would not be recommended for assessing a very large, complex or specialist premises unless the person doing so has a strong background knowledge of fire safety requirements. To keep safe it is best to get training done by the professionals who are specialists in their field.
For smaller, office type environments, most people will carry out their Fire Risk Assessments in-house. The system to follow is a relatively simple five step process. The steps involved are identifying potential hazards, identifying the people who are at risk from these hazards, evaluating the risks, and then recording your findings. The fifth step is to review the fire risk assessment at regular intervals.
There is clearly a lot more involved in the details of each step of this process, but to ensure you are complying then it is safer to employ the services of a specialist. The important thing is to act on the findings of the assessment. If the process identifies a risk with potentially severe consequences and a reasonably high likelihood of it happening, you clearly need to take steps to manage that risk. As well as recording the findings of your Fire Risk Assessment, you are also obliged by law to pass on the details of these findings to your staff. You must also ensure that all your staff are properly trained in what action to take in an emergency, use of fire fighting equipment, etc.
For many businesses, the work involved in carrying out fire risk assessments and implementing the associated action points can be a daunting prospect. Sometimes this is simply due to the lack of time and often it is due to not having the appropriate expertise within the business to be sure of undertaking the work competently.
Fire Safety Consultants are frequently used by employers to undertake all or part of their fire safety responsibilities. This can include carrying out fire risk assessments, training staff and even writing health and safety manuals and emergency plans. There are many such specialist companies now operating in the UK, the best of them are http://www.macdonald-martin.co.uk who are specialists in this field and are led by very experienced ex-fire service personnel.