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Paul Hughes

BAFE Accreditation

BAFE Accreditation Awarded

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Fire Safety Managers gains an Accreditation Hat Trick with the BAFE Accreditation awarded!

Fire Safety Managers has completed its 2019 plans to gain various accreditations by being awarded the BAFE Accreditation for approved Fire Extinguisher Service Providers.  This is the final accreditation for 2019 with more being planned for next year.

This BAFE accreditation is the first of many planned from the BAFE Schemes with many other industry accreditations planned for the future.

CEO Paul Hughes said, “It is extremely important for the team at Fire Safety Managers to ensure we are keeping up with the regulations and industry requirements to enable us to give our clients the full experience of dealing with our company.”

Safecontractor Logoiso9001 accreditation

“The operations team have worked hard over the last 6 months ensuring we meet our BAFE, ISO9001 and SafeContractor requirements and it is extremely satisfying to know we have now gained our BAFE accreditation.”

 

“When I set Fire Safety Managers up 5 years ago it was always with the intention of providing businesses with a first class quality service.  As we operate an average of 98% retention rate every month when our clients only sign up for a 12 month rolling service agreement and we have received 100% positive feedback from them I believe we are achieving these high standards.  I am proud that our accreditations emphasise and confirm this.” Paul continued.

The BAFE accreditation is a rigourous programme with continual audits and reviews and ensures Fire Extinguisher Service Companies are meeting their commitment to provide its clients a first class service on their annual Fire Extinguisher Service in line with the BAFE requirements and BS5306-3&8 recommendations.

“We look forward to continuing our commitment to the Quality Service we provide all of our clients whether it be for Fire Extinguishers or Fire Alarms or for a large contract or small client.  We give the same level of quality service to every single client no matter their contract size.” Operations Manager John McCann said.

Reliable Service Contracts (Every 12 Months)

Our engineers arrive on site at the time and day previously arranged with you.  We do not send them and expect you to give them access without pre-arranging this with you a week or so beforehand.  If they are going to be late they will call or email you to let you know.

If you have more than 20 fire extinguishers we will provide you with an Asset List in Excel, free of charge, and this is updated after each visit.  This ensures we are transparent and you are aware of the work required ahead of time enabling you to budget accordingly.  There are NEVER HIDDEN Charges or Surprises at the invoice stage.

You can find out more about the scheme by clicking here

Find out what Fire Safety Services we can provide you by clicking here

Landlord fined £50,000

Landlord Fined £37,000

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Landlord Fined for Fire safety breaches across eight properties

A Landlord fined after Fire Safety breaches were found across eight properties and an array of fire safety offences in Multiple Occupation (HMO) properties owned by a property agent, a combined fine of £37,000 was handed to the owner.

Omar Patel, who had ‘previously been convicted of offences in Newham,’ was found guilty at Camberwell Green Magistrates Court on two separate occasions in May and July.

The properties were checked by council inspectors who found that several of Omar’s properties lacked fire, heat or smoke detectors, secure fire doors or protected escape routes.

He was also fined for failing to license his HMOs, which inspectors state makes it ‘difficult to tell if a property is fit for human habitation.’

Officials will now monitor the nine addresses to take further action if Patel fails to make them safe.

For all your Fire Safety news and Services contact Fire Safety Managers Ltd today by clicking here

Original Source

Southwark News

Quarter of Landlords Fail to Fit Homes with Working Smoke Alarms

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Quarter of Landlords Fail Survey …….Tenants Living in Danger

A quarter of Landlords fail in a survey which has found that hundreds of thousands of tenants are living in unsafe housing conditions with missing smoke or carbon monoxide alarms as landlords aren’t meeting obligations on repairs that they are responsible for.

The data, collected by ComRes on behalf of Citizens Advice, found that a quarter of landlords failed to make sure there’s a smoke alarm on every floor of their properties and a further 26% failed to carry out annual gas safety work.

According to the report, 90,000 homes do not have a working carbon monoxide alarm, despite this being regulation, and one in six tenants say the disrepair in their home was causing a ‘major threat to their health and safety.’

ComRes is calling for a national housing body for private renting to set standards, which could include creating a home “MOT”, setting a “fit-and-proper-person” test for landlords and standardising rental contracts.

Gillian Guy, Chief Executive of Citizens Advice, said. “Too many private renters live in hazardous homes – often with dangerous flaws.

“The government must establish a national housing body to ensure landlords let property that meet legal standards and gives renters the support they need when they don’t.”

75% of landlords agreed a single national housing body responsible for setting standards would improve the quality of their work, with nearly half of them saying they were unaware there were potential fines for not checking carbon monoxide and smoke alarms were in working order.

For all your Fire Safety requirements and Services with Fire Safety Managers Ltd please click here.

Original Source

Citizens Advice

Landlord fined £13,000

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Landlord fined £13,000 after breaching Fire Regulations

A landlord has been fined and ordered to pay a £13,000 fine by Highbury Magistrates Court, he has been ordered to pay a £12,000 fine and nearly £1000 in costs. This was folowing on after his buy-to-let property in North London was found to be breaching fire safety regulations.

An inspection was carried out by an environmental health officers after neighbours complained about the living conditions in the property.

The flat was found to be housing four unrelated inhabitants sharing a kitchen and bathroom, which made it a house in multiple occupation (HMO).

The Landlord was fined after the property was found to have a non-main wired Smoke Alarm system. Further inspection found the property without the correct fire doors and the kitchen in a poor state of repair.

These are all are required specifications of HMO licensing.

The landlord, David Simmons, was served with an improvement notice, but sufficient improvements were not made in the required time frame.

He was found guilty of failing to comply with an improvement notice in Court.

For all your Fire Safety news and Services contact Fire Safety Managers Ltd today by clicking here

Original Source

Landlord Today

Special Education Schools Fail Children

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Special Education Schools Fail…… time for the Government to act

Special Education Schools “Fail” Children without having sprinkler systems in place. The essential need for sprinklers to be fitted in schools looking after children with special education needs has been highlighted by the London Fire Brigade in an official response to the Government’s technical review of Building Bulletin 100 (BB100).

The London Fire Brigade said that schools are ‘failing to protect vulnerable children’ from the effects of a disastrous fire by not fitting sprinkler systems within all the new and refurbished special education needs schools.

The statement said, “The current BB100 guidance does not reflect that school buildings where there are significant numbers of children with special educational needs are considered as a medium to high vulnerability risk.

“We want sprinkler systems to be mandatory in new schools and major refurbishments and for guidance to be updated around the evacuation of children with additional needs to take into account their health and safety, and to maintain their dignity.”

Since 2014, 549 fires have started in education buildings with only 13 having sprinkler systems fitted, and, this year alone, 41 school fires have occurred in London with none of them having sprinkler systems fitted.

Dan Daly, assistant commissioner for fire safety, said, “So far this year we’ve been to at least two school fires a week and none of these buildings have had any Fire Sprinkler systems installed.

“Minimising the disruption and impact of a fire is particularly pertinent at special educational needs school where vulnerable children learn.

“We’ve been campaigning for sprinklers in schools for well over ten years and, despite this, we continue to be ignored. “It is time for the government to act.”

For all your fire Safety Services visit Fire Safety Managers Ltd by clicking here.

Original Source 

London Fire Brigade 

Landlord Fined Again for Fire Safety Breaches

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Landlord Fined Again….”No regard’ for the Safety of Tenants

A Landlord has been fined again for Fire Safety breaches, serial offender, landlord Jack Collins, has been fined £20,000 after being found guilty of failing to protect the safety of his tenants in ten of his properties.

He was prosecuted by Leeds City Council and appeared at the local Magistrate’s court, charged with a wide variety of charges related to the ‘disgraceful state’ of his rental properties in the Beeston area.

Among a number of offences, Mr Collins was found guilty of  yet again failing Fire Safety, breaches such as failing to maintain a working fire alarm system; failure to ensure a means of escape was kept clear; and failing to keep a proper escape route in good order for his tenants in the case of an emergency situation.

The Landlord fined again for fire and safety breaches was fined £14,000 in February last year for similar offences in relation to two other properties under his ownership.

The Magistrates Panel said: “Mr Collins, you own 10 properties, your business is in housing people and it is quite clear and apparent you are deficient in this role and business.”

Mr Collins was fined £17,500 and ordered to pay the prosecutions costs of £2,446.50 plus a victim surcharge of £170.

He told the court that he had been unhappy with the quality of work from some of his contractors and felt he had to do the work himself, but due to suffering ill health was unable to carry out the works.

For all your Fire Safety requirements visit Fire Safety Managers Ltd by clicking here.  

Original sources

South Leeds Life, May 2019

South Leeds Life, February 2018

Care home fined over £100,000

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Care Home fined over £100,000 for ‘Serious’ fire safety failings

A Care Home has been fined over £100,000, the Care Home based in South London has been fined £90,000 plus more than £15,000 in costs after it was found guilty of breaching fire safety regulations, following the death of an elderly woman.

Back in 2015, a fire broke out in one of the rooms at Wood House Care Home based in Tooting, London, killing a 78-year-old pensioner through severe burning. 

The care home was closed shortly after the fire.

After the fire, the London Fire Brigade investigated the venue and found a series of serious Fire Safety concerns. The fire risk assessments carried out by the home were the main concern and it was found to not adequately reflect the premises or the ‘no smoking’ policy, and not considering the specific risk of individuals within the property.

London Fire Brigade’s Assistant Commissioner for Fire Safety, Dan Daly said, “The fire risk assessment did not adequately reflect the fact that some residents were at serious risk in the event of a fire.

“There were serious breaches of fire safety and measures to safeguard the wellbeing of residents within the property. These issues could have been put in place easily and quickly and at very little cost.

“Carers need to look at the individual needs of the people they look after and incorporate fire risks into the care planning process.

“A person-centred fire risk assessment is essential. If this had been put in place then this tragic case could have avoided.”

The company who owned the care home, Gold Care Consultancy Ltd, were sentenced at Southwark Crown Court.

For all your Fire Safety needs, Fire Risk Assessments, Servicing, Installations and advise visit Fire Safety Managers Ltd by Clicking here.

Original Source

London Fire Brigade

Government £200 million Cladding Bill

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Government meet £200 Million Cladding Bill……. Covering 150 High-Rise Tower Blocks

Government meet the £200 Million Cladding Bill in a bid to speed up cladding replacement. The Government will spend the £200 million to fund the work for private high-rise residential buildings, ‘eliminating excuses used by some building owners.’

Unsafe aluminium composite material cladding will be removed from more than 150 privately owned tower blocks.

Prime Minister, Theresa May, commented, “It is of paramount importance that everybody is able to feel and be safe in their homes.

“Today I can confirm the Government will meet the £200 Million Cladding Bill, fully funding the replacement of cladding on high-rise private residential buildings so residents can feel confident they are secure in their homes.”

It was alleged that private building owners failed to act, offloading costs to leaseholders, before this government intervention.

Grenfell United and the UK Cladding Action Group have been campaigning to the government since the Grenfell tragedy. They outlined the challenges in getting private building owners to fund the necessary replacements.

Building owners will have three months from the beginning of July to access the new fund.

The same work has already been funded in social housing developments, although there are 23 blocks still awaiting repairs.

For all your Fire Safety Requirements, visit Fire Safety Managers Ltd by clicking here

Original Source

gov.uk

New Build Homes ‘Not Fire Safe’

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Investigation…….New Build Homes “Not Fire Safe”

A BBC Investigation has found that some New Build Homes are “not Fire Safe”. Although building regulations require, by law, that new homes are built with fire protection measures some new build homes were found to be “Not Fire Safe”. They were found to be missing or incorrectly installed fire barriers to delay the spread of fire and allow crucial time for escape.

An investigation from the BBC found that some new build Homes are not Fire Safe leaving some Persimmon Homes and Bellway Homes sold without vital fire protection.

Serious breaches were undetected during construction, leaving homes and lives potentially at risk if a fire breaks out.

In some cases, a lack of fire barriers contributed to the spread of flames that have destroyed homes, such as in April 2018 when a fire started from a cigarette being dropped spread to the adjacent houses in Exeter.

A further 650 homes from Persimmon were found in the South West with missing or incorrectly installed fire barriers.

Similarly, after a fire took hold in a block of Bellway Homes flats in Kent, an investigation was carried out that found breaches in every property it checked.

Surveyor and expert witness Greig Adams, who carried out the testing, found poorly fitted fire barriers with voids and gaps around them that would prevent them from stopping a fire from spreading.

“What we’ve unfortunately found is that there are fire breach issues in every house we’ve looked at. It’s a legal requirement that the cavity barriers are to be there. It’s not optional- and with good reason: it saves lives”

Both companies said they are committed to improvement and that remedial works are being carried out currently.

For all your Fire Safety requirements, visit our Website, Fire Safety Managers Ltd by clicking here.

Original Source

BBC

Could Palace Suffer Same Fate…..

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MPs Warn Palace Could Suffer Same Fate…….

Could Palace suffer same fate? The question being asked, is it possible that Westminster Palace could suffer the same fate as the terrible fire that engulfed Paris’s Notre Dame Cathedral? UK Members of Parliament have warned the same could happen to the Palace unless urgent action is taken to address major fire risks.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said there were “huge” risks of a fire engulfing the Palace of Westminster. Which generally dates back to the 19th century and some parts dating as far back as 1099.

He added “You see beautiful buildings like that and think of the beautiful buildings we’ve got in this country. If any of those were destroyed in a fire, how would we feel about it?

“The state of the building is very poor in Westminster and a fire risk is obviously huge with a building that has so much wood within it.”

Could Westminster Palace suffer the same fate due to much of the building’s mechanical and electrical systems, such as heating, lighting and power, being installed into the building after World War Two. These should have ideally been replaced back in the 1980s.

Tom Healey, restoration programme director, said “Parliament had taken a ‘patch and mend approach’ instead, to keep systems plodding along despite being way beyond their shelf life.

Labour MP Chris Bryant said, “We have taken far too long already putting our fire safety measures in place.

“Parts of the palace are as old as Notre Dame and we must make sure that every fire precaution is taken as the major work goes ahead. God knows we’ve had enough warnings.”

MPs and peers are due to move out of the Palace of Westminster in 2025 to allow for a major six-year renovation programme. This will bring the site up-to-date, including ripping out and replacing 240 miles-worth of cabling, installing a new sewage system and improving access.

A parliamentary spokesperson said: “Fire safety is a key priority for parliament, and protections are constantly reviewed and updated including at our active construction sites.

“Last year we completed a major programme of works to enhance fire safety measures in the Palace of Westminster, and while this work continues we stand ready to learn any lessons that emerge from the fire at Notre Dame to ensure we do everything possible to protect our people and buildings on the parliamentary estate.”

They added: “Health, safety and wellbeing, including fire safety, will remain the highest priority.”

For all your Fire Safety requirements visit Fire Safety Managers Ltd, click here.

Original Source

ITV