Hotel pays £260,000 in landmark fire safety trial
A London hotel has had to pay more than £260,000 in fines and costs in what is believed to be the first jury trial of a case under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
Three people escaped from the fire, two by using the stairs and a third by climbing out of a second floor window.
Following the blaze, fire safety inspectors visited the hotel and raised a number of concerns. These included defective fire doors, blocked escape routes and no smoke alarms in some of the hotel’s bedrooms. Mr Wilson was also unable to produce a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment and was found not to have provided staff with adequate fire safety training.
The fine was divided between the individual defendant, Michael Wilson (£180,000) and the corporate defendant, Chumleigh Lodge Hotel Limited (£30,000). The defendants were further ordered to pay prosecution costs of £50,000, and compensation of £2,000 to the guest who escaped through a second floor window.
Blaze destroys celebrity chef’s kitchen
A fire has gutted a kitchen at River Cottage HQ, the famous home of TV chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.
The fire broke out around 10.15 pm on Tuesday night in the events barn, which also contains a kitchen for the River Cottage’s cookery school.
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall himself was believed to be out of the country filming for an upcoming television programme.
The fire was brought under control by around 2.00 am, leaving the barn gutted. All cooking courses and events have been cancelled for the foreseeable future.
River Cottage released a statement saying:
“A serious fire severely damaged the main barn at Park Farm, River Cottage HQ late last night in Axminster. Thankfully no people, or animals were hurt.
“The River Cottage team are shocked and upset, and are dealing with the damage today.”
Fire safety conviction for restaurant after arson attack
A restaurant owner and one of his employees have had to pay a total of more than £20,000 after pleading guilty to numerous fire safety offences.
Kamruz Zaman, of the Red Ginger restaurant in Bushey, Hertfordshire, pleaded guilty to seven offences and employee Adiel Choudhury pleaded guilty to eight offences under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 at Stevenage magistrates court on 1 December.
Mr Zaman was fined £5,750 and Mr Choudhury £6,000 for the offences, and together with costs of £9,161 and victim surcharges, had to pay a total of £20,941.
The fire was started deliberately on the ground floor in the early hours of Friday 9 July 2010. An employee of the restaurant sleeping on the first floor was woken by the smell of smoke which had engulfed the premises, according to Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service.
Among the offences Mr Choudhury pleaded guilty to were failing to carry out a fire risk assessment, and failure to provide emergency lighting for escape routes. Both defendants pleaded guilty to failing to provide appropriate firefighting equipment and detection and alarm systems, failure to appoint one or more competent persons, and a failure to provide safe emergency routes and exits.
Landlords pay £27,500 for ‘severe’ fire safety breaches
Two private residential landlords have been found guilty of breaching fire safety regulations and fined £23,000.
Fiaz Mahmmud, 48, and Audrey Feegrado, 39, were each found guilty of five breaches of the Housing (Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation) Regulations 2006 at a house in French Horn Lane, Hatfield, after pleading not guilty to the offences at Watford magistrates court.
The defendants were each fined £11,500, ordered to pay £2,225 each towards the council’s costs.
The pair were found guilty of failing to ensure that all means of escape from fire were free from obstruction; failing to ensure that all means of escape were maintained in good order; failing to ensure that any fire fighting equipment and fire alarms were maintained in good working order; failing to take measures to protect the occupiers from injury; and failing to ensure that all the common parts of the house were maintained in good and clean decorative repair.
Important new guidance on purpose-built block of flats
In the wake of the Lakanal House tragedy and other significant fires in purpose built blocks of flats, it became apparent that there was a lack of specific guidance for this building type and the application of the Fire Safety Order to blocks of flats was creating problems.
As a result a new guide published on the Local Government Group has been developed for the housing sector and enforcing authorities to use for purpose built blocks of flats.
This new guidance is likely to have a great impact on all parties involved in fire safety of blocks of flats. It will, hopefully, not only achieve a more consistent approach but will enhance the safety of residents in this form of housing.
The standard of Fire Risk Assessment completed by Fireskills on blocks of flats have always been to a high standard, and to maintain this we are completing an appraisal of the new guidance and will of course make any adjustments that may be necessary.
Nightclub bosses fined for fire safety breaches
Two nightclub bosses have been fined after breaching fire safety legislation.
Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service took legal action following an inspection of the Coco Lounge, Temptations and Cooler Bar, in the town.
Mr Clarke was fined £2,700 plus £1,906 court costs after pleading guilty to seven offences, including not having a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment and failing to provide adequate fire safety training for employees.
Mr Bailey was fined £550 plus £100 court costs after admitting three offences relating to a lack of suitable and sufficient fire risk assessments.
Blaze prompts plug-in air freshener warning
Info4Fire reports that twenty firefighters tackled a fire in a bungalow that is believed to have been caused by a plug-in air freshener.
Four fire engines attended the property in Stanmore in Middlesex on Thursday 8 September at around 9.30pm.
London Fire Brigade believes the fire was caused by a plug-in air freshener that overheated because it was covered by clothing. The fire was under control shortly after 10pm.
Stanmore watch manager, Simon Horn, said: “When we arrived we were faced with an intense fire and crews did extremely well to stop it from spreading to the roof and adjacent properties. Thankfully nobody was in the bungalow at the time of the fire.
“If people use plug-in air fresheners, they need to be careful to follow the instructions and never place materials next to or on top of them, as they can overheat and cause a fire.”
Fireskills announce move to new offices
With the continued growth in business Fireskills are pleased to announce a relocation to larger premises. Managing Director Neil Buckner said ’2011 continues to see our business grow, and this has resulted in us needing to find additional space. We have identified offices within the Oakley area that suit our needs and plan to move in during September.’
U-turn in sprinkler row over high rise student flats
Hampshire Fire and Rescue Serice recently convinced developers to include sprinklers in a high rise building built to accommodate students.
The developers Watkin Jones originally said sprinklers would not be fitted. The University of Portsmouth argued that stringent evacuation measures would suffice.
Following discussions between Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service and the university it has been decided that the Blade will now be fitted with sprinklers.
“We listened to the valid points raised by the fire service and we have now decided to fit sprinklers in this iconic development, ” a spokesman for Watkin Jones said.
£5,000 for hotel manager who failed to comply with enforcement notice
A hotel manager has been ordered to pay £5,000 in fines and costs for failing to comply with an enforcement notice. James Knappette, the former manager of Kedleston Country Hotel, near Derby, pleaded guilty at Derbyshire Magistrates Court last month. He was fined £3,000 with £2,000 costs.
Group Manager Steve Wells, said: “People who own and manage hotels are under a high duty of care to their guests. This is because those staying there are unfamiliar with the layout of the hotel and will be entirely reliant on the fire safety measures provided by the owners and operators to make sure that they can get out safely in the event of a fire.
“Wherever we find that people’s lives are being put at risk from inadequate fire precautions, we will not hesitate to issue enforcement notices and, if these are not complied with, take action through the courts. The decision by the magistrates to impose a fine and costs totalling £5,000 demonstrate they also take this issue seriously.”