Source: http://www.charltonross.co.uk/blog/author/admin/page/12/
Timestamp: 2018-10-23 22:21:58
Document Index: 776387358

Matched Legal Cases: ['Art 9', 'Art 13', 'Art 14', 'Art 14', 'Art 15', 'Art 18']

Paul King | Charlton Ross Safety Blog | Page 12
Breaching fire safety laws leads to suspended prison sentence
23rd February 2016 Paul King	Leave a comment
At a sentencing hearing at Inner London Crown Court last week Michael Carolan, the former leaseholder at The Good Intent in Walworth, admitted seven offences and was handed the 16-month suspended sentence after London Fire Brigade claimed the condition of the property was putting people’s lives at risk.
London Fire Brigade’s assistant commissioner for fire safety, Neil Orbell, said: “This public house was a potential fire trap and I have no doubt that if a blaze had broken out, its occupants would have been put at serious risk.
The Brigade warned other licensees that those neglecting responsibilities will face prosecution.
The Brigade was first alerted to fire safety at The Good Intent issues by Southwark Council in 2012, where they noted a host of potential hazards, including:
Inadequate fire detection and smoke alarms
Inadequate fire instruction notices
Absence of fire doors
Trip hazards in the building’s escape routes
Combustible material stored in escape routes
Evidence that an emergency door was being kept locked
No viable escape route from the upper floors
Poor fire safety management and evidence of smoking in the premises
No fire risk assessment for the premises had been carried out
A second visit identified further fire safety breaches in the residential part of the building above the pub, which the Brigade believed to be ‘put the lives of those living there at risk’.
Fire safety officers then issued a prohibition notice preventing upper floors from being used for sleeping and living accommodation.
A follow up inspection by the Brigade found, while other residents were no longer living in the pub’s upper floors, the pub manager and one other person were still there.
Orbell continued: “In this case, not only were those responsibilities being flouted before we visited the premises, the leaseholder continued to ignore them even after we had carried out our safety inspection.
“Landlords, leaseholders and building owners should be warned that we will always prosecute if we find they are putting people’s lives at risk.”
Carolan pleaded guilty to the following offences at a hearing under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005:
Failure to make a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment – breach of Art 9 (1).
Failure to provide an adequate system of fire detection and adequate firefighting equipment –breach of Art 13(1)(a)
Failure to preserve the integrity of the means of escape – breach of Art 14(2)(b)
Failure to ensure that the door along the means of escape could easily and immediately be opened in an emergency – breach of Art 14(2)(f)
Failure to provide an emergency plan, evacuation strategy and implement any safety drills in respect of the premises – breach of Art 15(1)(a)
Failure to appoint a competent person – breach of Art 18(1)
Breach of a prohibition notice
22nd February 2016 Paul King	Leave a comment
Folkestone watch manager Vic Thorogood said: “We were faced with a substantial fire, which had spread from the sofa to the carpet and the remainder of the room, causing significant fire and a thick wall of smoke. The heat from the fire was so intense that the windows cracked.”
Watch manager Thorogood said: “I am amazed that the occupant actually survived this fire, given the huge amount of damage and the fact that there were no smoke alarms in the property. The man was so lucky to escape uninjured, as just three breaths of toxic fire smoke can render you unconscious, and if you are asleep there is a strong risk that you will never wake up.”
This incident occurred ahead of the launch of Kent Fire and Rescue Service’s (KFRS) latest fire safety campaign – ‘Unsung Heroes’ – which encourages people to make a pledge to test their smoke alarms weekly.
Vic said: “I would recommend that smoke alarms are fitted on every floor of your home and that you get into the habit of testing them weekly to ensure they will work in the unfortunate event of a fire. I would also advise residents who smoke to take extra care to ensure all cigarettes are fully stubbed out after use and disposed of safety.”
Man rescued from fire on 13th floor of block of flats in Brighton
Ten fire engines tackled a blaze in a high rise block of flats in Montague Street, Kemp Town, Brighton. A man had to be rescued from the 13th floor of the block. Firefighters pulled him from the blaze in a block of flats in Montague Street, Brighton, shortly after 5pm on Saturday and he was taken to the Royal Sussex County Hospital.
East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service were called to what has been described as a “significant” fire in Montague Street, Kemp Town, at 5.14pm on Saturday.
One resident of the block said two flats had been burned out and the smoke coming out was “unbelievable”.
The authorities say everyone has been accounted for – and there are no reports of any injuries. Although the building was under guard by police officers over night for safety reasons.
People living in a house with no smoke alarm – or who remove the batteries – are four times more likely to die in a blaze
Shropshire’s Chief Fire Officer has revealed that smoke alarms which work are saving lives and reducing damage in house fires in the county.
Three people were led to safety, two advised to “stay put” and 82 told to leave a property where fire was reported. Firefighters cut free 42 people from a road traffic collision and gave first aid to 18 casualties at the scene. Firefighters also rescued five people from floods.
They carried out 22 other rescues including saving the life of Wem pensioner John Luce (76), whose heart had stopped when he collapsed in the back garden of his home during a garden fire last year. Firefighters used a defibrillator to bring him back to life with seconds to spare.
People living in a house with no smoke alarm – or who remove the batteries – are four times more likely to die in a blaze, say fire prevention officers, who urge all householders to fit a detector.
Ten fire engines called to Bayswater house fire
Ten fire engines and 72 firefighters and officers tackled a fire at a house on Gloucester Square in Bayswater, W2, Friday 19th February.
Four adults left the property – a terraced house of four floors – before the arrival of the Brigade and fortunately there were no reports of any injuries.
Part of the second floor and most of the property’s mansard roof was damaged by fire. Part of a mansard roof of a neighbouring property was also damaged in the blaze.
Station Manager John Ryan who was at the scene, said: “Crews fought the fire from both sides of the property as well as using aerial appliances to tackle the blaze from above. Firefighters worked hard in challenging conditions to bring the fire under control as quickly as they could.”
Fire engines from Paddington, Kensington, Euston, Soho, West Hampstead, Lambeth, Hammersmith and North Kensington fire stations attended the incident.
The Brigade was called at 1734 and the fire was under control at 0205. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
£14,000 fine and costs for fire safety offences
A business operator has been prosecuted for failing to provide suitable fire safety arrangements for its employees at an industrial unit in Didcot.
Business World Globe Ltd and its director Mr Mohamed Osman were together ordered to pay just under £14000 after they allowed employees to work and sleep in dangerous factory conditions in Oxford.
In court Mr Osman, the company Director, admitted seven charges for seven different offences on 1st February 2016. These included, failure to risk assess and take such general fire precautions as were reasonably required to ensure the premises were safe for employees. Failure to ensure that emergency exits were kept clear at all times, so it was possible for persons to evacuate the premises as quickly and as safely as possible. Failure to provide an adequate fire alarm and detection system, or providing employees with adequate safety training, all of which meant those present were placed at risk of death or serious injury if there were a fire.
Stuart Garner, Premises Risk and Protection Manager for Oxfordshire County Council Fire and Rescue Service, is reported to have said: “The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, which is enforced by the Fire Authority, places a requirement upon the responsible person, usually the building occupier, operator or owner, to firstly undertake a fire risk assessment and secondly act upon the outcomes of their significant findings. It is important that businesses not only understand why such an assessment must be initially undertaken, but also by constantly reviewing and managing their premises, how they can then assist me in creating a safer Oxfordshire.
Staffordshire fire and rescue service warning after chip pan sparks fire in Hanley
Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service is warning people of the risks involved in cooking with chip pans following a flat fire in Hanley. Station Manager Mark Walchester said “They catch fire rapidly and, when they do, they go up in flames very quickly leaving little time for people to become aware of the situation and to leave their home. This particular gentleman had working, hard-wired smoke alarms and was able to escape. The consequences could have been far more severe had that not been the case. We would urge people to test their smoke alarms on a regular basis so they can be confident that they will activate should a blaze break out.”
The blaze was sparked by an oil-filled pan which had been left unattended on a hob at the property on Dyke Street.
Luckily, the second floor flat had hard-wired smoke alarms which alerted the male occupant to the situation. He was able to leave the property and dial 999.
The resident was treated by paramedics at the scene after suffering mild smoke inhalation. Two cats in the flat were rescued, unharmed, by firefighters.
Crews from Hanley, Newcastle, Burslem and the Aerial Ladder Platform from Longton attended the incident.
They used one hose reel jet and wore breathing apparatus when tackling the blaze which was confined to the kitchen. The room sustained smoke damage.
Station Manager Mark Walchester, who led the incident, said: “Unfortunately we are still seeing a number of incidents involving chip pan fires in Stoke-on-Trent, which are putting lives at risk unnecessarily.
“They catch fire rapidly and, when they do, they go up in flames very quickly leaving little time for people to become aware of the situation and to leave their home. This particular gentleman had working, hard-wired smoke alarms and was able to escape. The consequences could have been far more severe had that not been the case. We would urge people to test their smoke alarms on a regular basis so they can be confident that they will activate should a blaze break out.
“Our advice is to never use chip pans and never to leave any pan unattended on a lit hob. It is far safer to use oven chips or a thermostat controlled deep fat fryer which will automatically switch itself off if it reaches a certain temperature. Making these simple changes could save your life and the lives of your family.”
The first crew arrived at the incident at 3.34pm and the last left at 4.53pm. The fire has been classed as accidental.