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Paul Hughes

Council Fails Fire Safety

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Council Fail Fire Safety with Potentially ‘Serious Detriment’ to Tenants

Gateshead Council Fails Fire Safety requirements, the Regulator of Social Housing has found that statutory requirements across a range of areas including fire safety, asbestos and electrical safety have not been met by Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council.

As a consequence of these issues, the Council has been found in breach of the Home Standard and a correction programme that is currently in place.

As a consequence of the breach, there was the potential for “serious detriment to Tenants safety” after the Council Fails Fire Safety Requirements.

Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the Council has a statutory duty to regularly assess the risk of fire in properties where it has responsibility for maintenance and to take precautions to prevent the risk of fire.

Up until mid-2018, there was no programme to carry out risk assessments across properties in the area and, although fire risk assessments were carried out on many high-rise properties, they were not carried out in other locations.

Since identifying these issues, Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council has been carrying out a programme of fire risk assessments and has developed a programme to undertake the works arising from those assessments prioritised according to risk.

Concluded in the official government document, “The Regulator of Social Housing will work with Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council as it seeks to address the issues which have led to this situation, and will consider what, if any, further action to take in relation to the breach of the Home standard.”

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Original Source

Gov.uk

Landlord fined £50,000

Landlord fined £50,000……….

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Landlord Found guilty of 18 offences and fined over £50,000

A Landlord has been fined £50,000 and found Guilty of poor Fire Safety, after pleading guilty to 18 offences relating to two houses of multiple occupation (HMOs), Lettings of London Ltd has been ordered to pay over £50,000.

The letting agent, based in North London, was found guilty at Stevenage Magistrates’ Court. They will pay fines of £43,000 and £10,000 to Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council.

After council officers carried out an initial inspection of the properties in 2018, a number of deficiencies were found. They concluded that the fire safety equipment in both houses had not been maintained in good working order and now ordered to pay over £50,000 in fines.

There were also no working fire alarms or fire blankets in either property. Self -closers on fire doors were not working and Emergency Lighting was not working. There were loose coping stones and rusted metal handrails on an external staircase outside one of the properties.

Initially, the landlord argued that the properties were in a good state of repair, regularly inspected and that any issues were rectified in good time.

Simone Russell, corporate director at WHBC, said: “This is the second case this year with one of the largest fines we have seen for offences relating to HMO properties.

“These were serious breaches of the law and could have led to severe injury or worse.”

He continued, “Landlords can join our council-run accreditation scheme, PAL, which makes it easier for landlords to understand meet high standards of management practice.”

For all your Fire Safety requirements click here

Original Source

Welwyn Hatfield Times

Care Home fIned

Care Home Fined

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Care Home Fined for Putting Vulnerable Residents at Risk

Stapley Care Home based in Liverpool have been fined and ordered to pay for a range of fire safety offences.

Several breaches in Fire Safety had put both staff and residents at risk of serious injury or death.

After several Inspections Liverpool Magistrates Court found the Care home guilty of five breaches of The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.

Mr Brian Massie, senior fire protection officer for Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service (MFRS) commented on the Courts ruling.

“This care home has approximately 70 residents, some suffering dementia and needing significant support”.

He added ” from 2011 onwards, several inspections of the premises have been conducted and it is clear Stapely Care Home were aware of their duties under the fire safety order.”

The 2018 inspection found the care home had failed to maintain the Fire Alarm system and to a satisfactory standard.

Combustible materials had not been removed and fire doors inadequate, missing the appropriate Fire Safety strips and seals.

It was suggested that a fire could have spread very quickly within the property due to insufficient means of raising an alarm. This allowing the rapid spread of smoke and fire  putting vunerable staff and Residence in significant danger.

Those in charge were also accused of failing to ensure the premises were subject to a suitable Fire Alarm system and maintenance.

Despite District Judge Shaw acknowledging the severity of the offences and ‘risk of harm including death’, as the care home is run by a charitable organisations a very large fine would have a detrimental impact on service users, therfore the fine was set at £6,000.

Following on from this case, Merseyside Fire And Rescue (MFRS) will be conducting a new fire safety campaign targeting all care homes across Merseyside.

For all your Fire Safety requirements please click here.

Original Source 

Liverpool Echo

estate agent fined

Estate Agent Fined £50,000

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Estate Agent recieves Large Fine For Fire Safety Breaches

Assim Estate Agent Ltd have been fined and ordered to pay £50,000. The company pleaded guilty of fire safety breaches at St Albans Magistrates Court.

Nick Pace, executive member for housing and community at the council, commented that  “This is one of the largest fines we have seen for this type of offence”

After the Landlord informed Council Inspectors in 2017  that the plans for the property were for it to be either sold or let.  A later Council Officer Inspection of the property in early July 2018 found it being used as a HMO, housing five seperate Tenants. The Estate Agent fined have refused to comment.

Council Officers inspecting the poroperty found it to be in breach of inadequate:

  • fire detection and alarms in communal areas
  • interlinked fire detection to the rest of the property
  • satisfactory means of escape

Furher breaches included no fire blankets, poor lighting and inadequate window handles in any of the communal areas and occupied Tenant bedrooms.

A later inspection of the property in late July 2018 found ‘no work had been carried out to improve’ any of the breaches previously found.

On top of the £45,000 fine, the Estate Agent were further ordered to pay nearly £5,000 in court fees and an additional victim surcharges.

Nick Pace added, “the fine indicates the seriousness of this case and sends out a clear message, that we do not compromise the safety of tenants.”

For all your Fire Safety requirements, information and advise from Fire Safety Managers Ltd please  click here.

Original Source

Welwyn Hatfield Times 

Childrens Fire Safety

Children’s Fire Safety Studies Conclude that…

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Children’s Fire Safety Studies conclude….

A study into Children’s Fire Safety has concluded that some young Children do not wake to the sound of a smoke alarm, studies support the theory that a certain percentage do not respond universally to the sound of a standard smoke alarm operating.

Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service Watch Manager Dave Coss commenced his research into children not waking to the sound of smoke alarms in conjunction with Dundee University.

Over 600 children were involved in the study which tested responses to both a standard alarm and a low frequency sound using a human voice.

The children involved in the study were categorised into four groups:

  • Male and Female and 0-9 years and 10-16 years old.
  • From the 644 tests conducted, 28% of the children woke to the sound of the standard alarm and
  • 77% woke to the new sound.

Speaking following these findings, Watch Manager Dave Coss said: “As a fire investigator, tragically I have come across incidents where children have lost their lives.  One of the first things we look for in any fire investigation is whether smoke alarms were present, and if they were activated.

“I became interested in researching those instances where smoke alarms were present, but children weren’t alerted to the fire.  The research that I have been conducting, in conjunction with Dundee University indicates that the sound frequency is key, therefore parents and guardians need to ensure they wake their children in the event of a fire.”

Deputy Chief Fire Officer Gavin Tomlinson said: “Planning a safe escape and having working smoke alarms are essential fire safety messages that we continue to promote to our communities.  The findings of this research do not change this advice, they simply support the importance of parents and or guardians ensuring they plan to wake their children as part of their escape plan.”

Shaun Bennett, Derby Homes, Director of Investment & Maintenance said: “Having experienced the tragic loss of children to fire within the city we supported this research jointly with Efficiency East Midlands in the hope that lives would be saved in the future.

“As a result of our longstanding partnership with DFRS we fit fire safety sprinklers in all of our new homes.”

For all your Fire Safety needs and requirements, click here for more information

Original Source

Derbyshire Fire & Rescue

pub landlord

Pub Landlord Sentenced to 17 Weeks in Prison

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Pub Landlord receives prison sentence for fire safety breaches

Pub landlord, Tony Stearman of The Poachers Inn, Ide, has been sentenced to 17 weeks in prison (suspended for 18 months) after failing to ensure his pub met fire safety standards.

He pleaded guilty to five offences under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 at Exeter Magistrates on Tuesday 2 April 2019.

Mr Stearman was also ordered to pay £5,000 in costs to Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue Service (DSFRS) and a victim surcharge of £115.

Officers from DSFRS carried out an inspection and discovered that Tony Stearman failed to implement the recommendations of a fire risk assessment.

The offences related to a number of failures in the fire safety standards identified by officers of DSFRS in 2017 including:

  • The fire detection and warning system fell far short of the standard expected in a premises providing guest accommodation
  • The escape route from the guest accommodation was not adequately protected by fire resisting construction and discharged directly into the bar area
  • A linen cupboard which also housed an electrically powered immersion heater was located in the escape route.

When asked why he had not acted upon the recommendations from the risk assessor he stated he had treated it as things that he “ought to do” as opposed to things “he had to do.”

Business Safety Manager Rod Schneider said: “Mr Stearman understood the need for a Fire Risk Assessment, yet failed to comply with the requirements of the Fire Safety Order by ignoring advice from those he had appointed to assist.  He was well aware of his fire safety responsibilities and the need to ensure people visiting and staying at the premises were safe yet put lives at risk by prioritising profit over safety.”

Mr Schneider added: “The majority of businesses in Devon and Somerset take their responsibilities seriously.  However, those that decide to place people at unnecessary risk will be subject to appropriate enforcement action by DSFRS.”

DSFRS Business Safety Officers will always work with and support those businesses that take their fire safety responsibilities seriously but will not tolerate those that fail to carry out their duties.

Our Fire Risk Assessors are NEBOSH trained and available for any advice or guidance.  Click here for more information.

Original Source:

Devon & Somerset Fire

Safecontractor Logo

SafeContractor Accredited

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Fire Safety Managers gains SafeContractor Accreditation

Fire Safety Managers has begun its journey of gaining various industry accreditations by becoming SafeContractor Approved.

This Health & Safety accreditation is the first of many planned for this year along with the ISO9001:2015 and BAFE accreditations planned for April 2019.

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.  The operations team has worked hard in ensuring we meet our Health & Safety requirements and it is extremely satisfying to know we have now gained the SafeContractor accreditation.”

“We look forward to continuing our commitment to the health & safety of all our clients, staff and contractors by improving our methods and implementing new ones,” the Operations Manager John McCann said.

The SafeContractor accreditation is a rigourous programme with continual audits and reviews and ensures businesses are meeting their H & S requirements in order to gain recognition and approval from their scheme.   You can find out more by clicking here

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

fire safety managers

Business Funding Received for Expansion Plans

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Business funding received for expansion plans

 

A Chester based fire safety team is celebrating after it was granted significant business funding to enable the company to grow and deliver lifesaving fire safety solutions and fire training to businesses and education providers across the country.

Fire Safety Managers, who’s head office is in Birmingham, approached DropJaw Ventures earlier in the year to seek for some guidance and advice in terms of growing the business and the funding means in which to do so. The company specialise in installing fire alarms, fire extinguishers and emergency lighting alongside conducting risk assessments and fire safety training.

Paul Hughes, Fire Safety Managers CEO said: I started Fire Safety Managers in 2015 after working in the fire industry for 15 years realizing that companies were paying a fortune for a low-quality service. However, my passion to educate and promote fire safety all stemmed from a very scary experience aged just five, when I was trapped in a fire.

“We have a vision to be the UK’s trusted provider of high-quality fire safety at an affordable price ensuring customers receive value for money while meeting their fire safety objectives. We required the business knowledge and support of Roy Shelton and the team at DropJaw to help us move forward.”

The DropJaw team instantly wanted to support the company and identified several funding streams for Fire Safety Managers to apply for.

business fundingSignificant funding has been allocated and will now be used towards employing new team members, gaining additional industry accreditations and developing the fire training – all alongside the continued delivery of fire safety solutions and education across the country.

Paul continues: “Our vision is that fire safety is taught to all children globally by creating unique, interactive and enjoyable workshops. Making such sessions an integral part of a child’s education and then extending that out to our clients and partners throughout the UK.

“With new and significant funding now secured we can take a massive step forward with this vision. We are very excited about the future.”

Roy Shelton, Managing Partner of DropJaw Ventures adds: “We are delighted to support Paul and the Fire Safety Team. Our ability to be able to provide access to capital, deploying our own funds alongside the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund and then providing ongoing advisory services to help fuel business growth and develop the team is very exciting and leveraging the core of our capabilities.

“Our focus on the SME community allowing us to provide our portfolio of investments and clients with a market place to collaborate and share best practices with each other accelerates their growth and improves the chances of greater success”

Mark Gibbons of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund concludes:We have been pleased to support Fire Safety Managers Ltd with Northern Powerhouse Investment Funds of £35,000 towards their funding round. I was impressed by the growth that the business has achieved in a short space of time as well as the management team Paul has in place, we are confident the business will continue on its growth journey. Paul is very passionate about Fire Safety and this is reflected in the high service levels provided and 92% customer retention.”

For more information about Fire Safety Managers visit the website: https://www.firesafetymanagers.co.uk or call 0121 439 1220  Find our Services by clicking here

For more information about award winning DropJaw Ventures and the business consultancy services it offers across the UK and internationally visit the website: https://www.dropjawventures.co.uk/ or call 01244 906220.

Birmingham landlord fined

Birmingham Landlord Fined

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Birmingham Landlord Fined

Fire doors didn’t fit and escape routes blocked!!!

Birmingham landlord fined totalling nearly £40,000 for breaching housing regulations, including fire safety rules.

David Greene pleaded guilty at Birmingham Magistrates Court and was fined £35,000, with costs awarded at £1,941 and a victim surcharge of £170.

He had been letting a three-storey property which included ten self-contained flats. Inspectors commented that it was the worst property they had seen in the last 10 years.

Mr Greene is an established landlord, having owned the property since 1986 and was aware of HMO regulations. Birmingham City Council has frequently contacted Mr Greene to resolve the poor conditions which included those designed to protect tenants in the event of a fire.

However, he neglected his responsibilities as a landlord putting the lives in danger of vulnerable tenants who relied on him to provide safe accommodation.

While he maintained that he had issues gaining access to the flats, Birmingham City Council Officers found that smoke detectors were hanging off the ceiling, fire doors were ill fitting and fire escape exits were blocked.

Councillor Sharon Thompson, Cabinet Member for Homes and Neighbourhoods at Birmingham City Council, said: “Mr Greene has shown a callous disregard for his responsibilities as a landlord.

“This fine sends out a message to all landlords who ignore the law that Birmingham City Council will pursue anyone who lets out sub-standard accommodation.”

Original source

Birmingham City Council

pub fined for breaching fire safety rules

Pub Fined for Breaching Fire Safety Rules

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Pub Fined for Breaching Fire Safety Rules

Pub fined for breaching fire safety rules as the company responsible for operating a Cheshire pub have been landed a huge fine of £38,000 for breaching a number of fire safety rules.

The case against the Bispham Green Brewery Company Ltd, which owns the Wizard pub, was brought following a fire in 2016.

Fire crews quickly attended the scene and on arrival they discovered a fire in the kitchen area.

The member of staff who reported the incident managed to exit the building, but had to return to the first floor on two occasions to retrieve the keys to locked fire exits.

Fire crews noted a number of fire safety issues at the pub and a prohibition notice was issued by enforcement officers to prevent anyone from living or sleeping at the premises.

A post fire inspection carried out by Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service (CFRS) found locked fire escapes, inadequate fire separation between floors and the absence of a fire alarm system within the staff living quarters.

Summarising, District Judge Sanders said: “The lack of appropriate fire safety measures created a serious risk of harm and a dangerous cocktail in the event of a fire.”

Lee Shears, Head of Protection and Organisational Performance at CFRS, said: “We welcome the sentence handed out by the court as this was a serious breach of fire safety.”

Original source

Alderley Edge