Ark Workplace Risk ™

Fines and costs £7K for Fire Safety Order Prosecution

The Chief Fire Officers Association has reported that a case brought under the Regulatory Reform Order 2005 has resulted in a pub landlord being fined £4,200 with costs of £3,000 in Teddington, London.

The case followed a routine inspection of a licensed premises where the enforcement officers were not made aware of residential accommodation above the pub.

The follow up inspection discovered that there was rented accommodation above the pub, and that there were a number of fire safety issues in relation to it.

What were the Fire Safety Issues?

The inspectors found various failings in

• the escape routes
• the type of smoke detection and
• a clear message that there had not been a suitable and sufficient risk assessment undertaken

The pub landlord did not appear to appreciate the gravity of these issues as indicated in the following quote from Steve Turek, Assistant Commissioner for Fire Safety Regulation, London Fire Brigade:

“I urge landlords, business owners and employers to take their fire safety responsibilities very seriously. All premises owners and operators must make themselves aware of the regulations, to undertake a fire safety risk assessment, which is now mandatory, and act upon its findings. I would like to thank the inspecting officers for their hard work in bringing forward this conviction.”

What should you do to protect your business?

• Make sure you comply with the legislations by having a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment as part of your overall strategy for managing health & safety in the workplace.
• Make sure your in house staff are fully trained on all fire safety matters
• Take a look at the competence of your employees to carry out fire risk assessments, and, if you’re in doubt, employ competent advisors to help you through the maze of legislation to ensure you have done everything you must do (but have not wasted time or money on anything that you are not required to do.)
• Keep your assessments reviewed and up to date to take account of any change in personnel, processes or buildings.

Remember that risk assessment is a dynamic process; it cannot be done once and placed on the shelf.

How can Ark help?

Ark has fully qualified and experienced fire risk assessors who have worked in industry and have detailed, first-hand experience of the approach taken by enforcers.

We can carry out a fire risk assessment for you or review your existing Fire Risk assessments to make sure they comply.

You can work with Ark to:

• Develop your management policy and procedures to ensure you are meeting the expectations of fire service enforcement officers.
• Get your staff trained so that they truly understand fire risks and how to reduce any possible impact.
• Get the effectiveness of your existing systems audited.

If you have any concerns over this or any other aspects of current fire safety legislation, contact Ark to discuss your concerns with qualified and competent fire risk assessors. Our assessors have a successful track record in negotiations with local fire and rescue services.

Optimal risk control with Ark

To explore how you can optimise your Health & Safety and Fire Risk management systems, just use the easy form below or call us on
+44 (0) 20 7397 1450.