Posts Tagged ‘Fire Safety & Risk Management’
Brewery pays out nearly £30,000 for fire safety breaches
A brewery has been ordered to pay £27,481 in fines and costs following a number of fire safety breaches at one of its pubs in London.
Punch Taverns Plc pleaded guilty to seven contraventions of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 at Thames Magistrates Court on 6 January.
Fire safety officers who first investigated the Milestone pub on Mile End Road in July 2008 found that there was inadequate maintenance of the fire alarms and poor emergency lighting. In some cases, emergency lighting was non-existent.
The London Fire Brigade also found that the building, which is a House of Multiple Occupation, had not been installed with self closers on a kitchen door and one of its bedroom doors.
Punch Taverns was issued with an enforcement notice and time to comply following the first visit, however a second investigation in November 2008 revealed a number of faults still to be addressed.
Assistant commissioner for fire safety regulation, Steve Turek, said: “London Fire Brigade will continue to take action when businesses, large or small, do not take their fire safety responsibilities seriously. Failure to comply with the law can, as this case has shown, result in a prosecution.”
Source: Info4fire
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National register of tower block fire safety scrapped by TSA
The Tenant Services Authority (TSA) has backtracked on its promise to deliver a national register of tower block fire safety.
Plans for a database holding information on fire safety measures in residential blocks were announced following the Lakanal House fire in July 2009, which killed six people. It would have held details on ownership, the number of properties and the age of each block, as well as dates for due risk assessments.
Channel Tunnel blaze report released as Eurotunnel prepares new fire safety strategy
An official report into the Channel Tunnel fire in September 2008 – which destroyed a 1km section of the tunnel and disrupted services for six months – has been published.
The joint report from the Rail Accident Investigation Branch and its French equivalent, BEA-TT, says inadequate understanding of emergency procedures by lorry drivers, the poor positioning of the train in relation to an evacuation ‘cross-passage’, and communications difficulties made the evacuation of the train more difficult.
The report also says firefighting operations were hampered by the vulnerability to fire of the backup electricity supply, communications equipment and firefighting equipment.
Among the report’s recommendations are: the improvement of evacuation information and instructions to passengers, taking into account non English or French speakers and human behaviour in stressful situations; improved communications between the control centre and the chef de train (guard); and reducing the time it takes to isolate the overhead cable power supply so that firefighters can safely tackle a blaze more rapidly.
Poundstretcher chain pays £55,000 for fire safety breaches
National discount chain Poundstretcher Limited has been fined £51,500 and ordered to pay £3,450 costs at Leeds crown court for seven offences under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
The offences at Poundstretcher’s Castleford store in West Yorkshire included a failure to take adequate fire precautions for its employees and other relevant people, a failure to review its fire risk assessment, emergency routes and exits blocked, and inadequate staff training.
The firm had previously pleaded guilty to the charges at Pontefract magistrates court.
Craig McIntosh, West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s director of fire safety, said the prosecution followed breaches of fire safety legislation at other Poundstretcher locations.
“This is the third time a prosecution has been brought in West Yorkshire,” he said. “The severity of the fines imposed by the court show that companies cannot continue to treat public and staff safety with contempt. The fines are intended to make Poundstretcher take its obligations seriously in the future.”
In July 2009 Poundstretcher was fined £12,000 and ordered to pay £2,460 costs at Halifax magistrates court. And in October last year the company was fined £8,500 and ordered to pay £2,461 costs at Wakefield magistrates court.
Source: SHP
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Non Domestic Premises – Fire Safety and Fire Risk Assessments
October 2006 witnessed the biggest change in UK fire safety legislation since the introduction of fire certificates in 1971. With effect from this date, a formal fire risk assessment will be needed for all non-domestic premises. This includes sites where fire certificates may previously have been issued as these will cease to be valid after this date. Failure to comply with these requirements can result in a prison sentence of up to two years.
The Association of British Insurers suggests that 40% of businesses do not recover following a fire. The average cost of a fire in commercial premises in 2003 was estimated at £58,100. It has even been suggested that those without up-to-date and valid fire risk assessments will find themselves un-insured. So fire safety should be a priority for any business and a fire risk assessment should be undertaken on a regular basis.
It is important to note that these requirements differ from those of existing fire management assessments and will require a more detailed assessment of the building. Recent examples in the press have included schools with inadequate management plans which have been compromised by the removal of fire breaks and fire doors.
Thames Laboratories has been certificated by the Building Research Establishment to assist occupiers in complying with the Regulatory Reform Order (Fire) 2006 and produce appropriate fire risk assessments and advice.
Our Fire Safety services can help you carry out a fire safety risk assessment and implement and maintain a fire management plan.