Blog

A number of students living in a city centre flat in Newcastle were put at risk of death due to a number of fire safety violations and the complicit company has been fined thousands.

John Naz, the company director of Passion Leisure Ltd, which runs Butler’s Bistro on Nun Street, let out the top two floors of the eatery’s building to four Newcastle University students in September 2011, Newcastle Magistrates’ Court heard. Newcastle City Council found there were a whole raft of serious fire breaches, which led it to quickly notify the local Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service.

One smoke detector had been taped over, fire doors were missing some seals, stairwell glazing was not properly fire proof and a hole in the ceiling would have caused potential danger acting as a chimney in the instance of a fire breaking out.

Furthermore, the prosecution revealed that Passion Leisure had not completed up-to-date fire assessments or carried out regular checks on detectors, fire doors and extinguishers.

The danger to the students was clear and they were quickly taken out of the building on Nun Street and provided alternative accommodation.

Passion Leisure subsequently pleaded not guilty to a total of five charges related to non-compliance where there was risk of death or serious injury due to a fire. During the trial it was found to be guilty of three of the charges.

As a result, the firm was fined a total of £7,500, while it had to pay £4,890 in costs and a victim surcharge of £120.

The two charges it was not found guilty of were to do with the escape route safety and inter-linking alarms between the flat and the downstairs bistro.

“Passion Leisure had taken out a maintenance and service contract with Green King, which they had paid over £2,000 a year for. In relation to four out of five of the alleged offences, Mr Naz thought it fell to the responsibility of Green King,” said defendant Nick Cartmell.

“Regular testing and updating of the log book should have been undertaken by the manager at the time, Steven Bailey.

“Mr Naz assumed he was undertaking those duties as he didn’t have reason to believe he was not. With hindsight, he should have checked.”

The government stipulates that a landlord must ensure a property is safe to live in and free from any health hazards, which includes fire safety. This necessitates the individual to ensure gas equipment is installed safely, regular checks are carried out, furniture is fire safe and that alarms and extinguishers are provided (size of the property depending).

Commercial buildings, non-domestic and multi-occupancy premises in England and Wales are already forced to undertake a ‘suitable and sufficient’ fire risk assessment carried out under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.

While the overwhelming majority of premises do this, if the assessment is thought to have been carried out to an insufficient extent, the Responsible Person can face an unlimited fine or up to two years in prison.

Cells at the Newcastle Magistrates’ Court have failed a fire risk assessment, and the court could be closed as a result.

Alarmingly, 5 out of the 13 cells have been deemed to be not fire safe, and a review by HM Courts and Tribunal Service (HMCTS) could result in the court being closed. The problems in the five cells are said to be structural, and they cannot be made fire safe.

Northumbria Police Chief Inspector Sean Mckenna explained:

There are structural issues with the layout of the cell complex which does not meet modern requirements. This is not a maintenance issue and it cannot be remedied in this building. Discussions are under way with all parties to look at future court cell provision.
In the meantime Northumbria Police has been in discussion with HM Courts & Tribunals Service to ensure that the cell accommodation is used to optimum capacity to ensure the Magistrates’ Court is able to function effectively.

http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/newcastle-magistrates-court-could-close-6337191

The former landlord and licensee of the Rams Head Inn in Grappenhall, Warrington, have been fined for failing to put in place adequate fire safety measures.

Punch Partnerships PML Ltd (Punch Taverns) and the licensee at the time Graham Dennett, both pleaded guilty after a blaze involving a tumble dryer broke out in the pub in August 2011.

Cheshire Fire inspected the property after dousing the flames and found a number of fire safety issues.

Punch Partnerships faced one charge of failing to provide a suitable and safe escape route while Dennett was charged with failure to provide sufficient firefighting equipment, insufficient testing of smoke alarms and emergency lighting, failure to pass on fire risk and emergency information to staff and lack of a fire risk assessment review.

For more information regarding fire risk assessments;
Email: enquiries@dbfiresafety.co.uk
OR Phone: 08448 541 451

Firefighters in England and Wales are to strike on 13 November, the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has announced.

The four-hour walkout from 10:00 GMT by union members will be the fourth in recent weeks.

They are striking over a row with the government, who want to increase firefighters’ retirement age to 60.

The union also announced that it will ballot its members for other forms of industrial action in an escalation of the dispute.

In these times of potentially reduced emergency cover, it is even more important to ensure that your fire safety measures are adequate.

If you have any concerns regarding your fire safety provision then please:
Email: enquiries@dbfiresafety.co.uk
Or Phone: 08448 541 451

Firefighters in England and Wales are set to stage a fresh strike in a row with the government over pension ages. Members of the Fire Brigades Union will walk out between 18:30 and 23:00 GMT on Friday (1st November) and for two hours on Monday (4th November).

This comes at a time when people across the country will be gearing up to celebrate bonfire night. Although bonfire night falls on Tuesday (5th November), it is not uncommon for people to hold private fireworks displays and even bonfires over the days and weeks leading up to the 5th. Every year the fire service recognise this time of year as a high risk period, and so extra care should be taken to safeguard your business and your home.

As we all know, a fire will not give you advance warning via a text message or a status on Facebook, so make sure that all your fire safety measures and procedures are up-to-date and suitable and sufficient. It is also imperative that you practice your evacuation procedure as a matter of urgency and most importantly of all…be safe!

For further fire safety advice and to ensure that your business complies with current fire safety legislation, please:

Email DB Fire Consultancy – enquiries@dbfiresafety.co.uk

Or Phone: 08448 541 451

Munawar Ahmed, who owns the Chicken Inn and Takeaway in Church Street, Croydon, was given a 15 month suspended prison sentence and ordered to undertake 100 hours of unpaid work by Inner London Crown Court on Monday, October 7.

Ahmed’s company, Chicken Inn and Takeaway Limited, was ordered to pay fines totalling £17,000 and the Brigade’s court costs of £22,752. Ahmed and the company both pleaded guilty to seven offences under the Regulatory Reform (Fire safety) Order 2005.

Following fire safety concerns raised by Croydon Council’s housing enforcement team, London Fire Brigade’s fire safety inspecting officers visited the premises in January 2011.

Fire safety inspectors said there were no smoke alarms in the building; no fire separation between the shared kitchen on the first floor and staircase; no fire resistant or self-closing doors to the bedrooms on the first and second floors; no emergency lighting on the escape route from the upper floors and combustibles such as mattresses and cooking oil drums stored within the staircase enclosure on each floor.

No fire risk assessment had been carried out in the ground floor take-away or the common parts of the upper floors. A later inspection, in January 2012, found evidence that the prohibition notice had been breached.

London Fire Brigade’s assistant commissioner for fire safety regulation Steve Turek said: “This verdict should serve as a stark warning to landlords and business owners that they have a responsibility under fire safety laws to ensure that people living and working in their premises are safe from the risk of fire.

“If we find people are ignoring these responsibilities we won’t hesitate to prosecute and the sentence handed down in this case shows that the courts take these matters just as seriously as we do.”

http://www.croydonguardian.co.uk/news

A nightclub in Derby is at risk of losing its licence due to a number of fire safety failings.

The Derby Telegraph revealed that MD’s Lounge initially closed down in July when fire inspectors found a total of 14 issues, including unsuitable and insufficient fire safety risk assessment, inadequate precautions, badly lit escape routes, poorly maintained emergency lighting and unsatisfactory staff fire training.

Safety hazards were first found in February, but a second inspection in the summer revealed that the situation remained the same, while officers also discovered that the electricity had been “illegally and dangerously” reconnected following being cut-off by the suppliers.

Fires in nightclubs are particularly lethal due to the number of people that are typically in them. One incident in Brazil this year saw 240 people killed when a firework ignited insulation foam.

In a bid to remove potential fire hazards, commercial buildings and non-domestic premises in England and Wales are already forced to undertake a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment carried out under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.

While the overwhelming majority of premises do this, if the assessment is thought to have been carried out to an insufficient extent, the Responsible Person can face an unlimited fine or up to two years in prison.

For more information Email: enquiries@dbfiresafety.co.uk OR Phone: 08448 541 451

A Business man from Newport was ordered to pay a total of almost £13,000 for flouting fire safety regulations.

Jaipal Singh Soor, of Malpas Road, pleaded guilty at Cwmbran Magistrates’ Court to eight offences under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.

Offences included not carrying out a fire risk assessment, not installing a fire door, not having a working fire alarm and leaving the premise in a poor condition that would allow fire to spread. Mr Soor was fined £1,000 per offence and ordered to pay full costs to the Fire Authority of £4,904.37.

For more information regarding the duties required by the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005

email: enquiries@dbfiresafety.co.uk OR phone 08448 541 451

The threat of a nationwide strike by firefighters looms after a vote of nearly 4-1 in favour.
Make sure that your fire safety provision is absolutely up to scratch.

enquiries@dbfiresafety.co.uk
08448 541 451

Remember – whenever a fire door is installed it must be fitted with intumescent smoke seals and a self-closing device. Any glass vision panel must also have the same fire rating as the door.

For more information:
enquiries@dbfiresafety.co.uk
08448 541 451