NEWS

 BBQ blaze destroys house

10 June 2010

Barbeque embers which had been placed near a wheelie bin to die out caused a fire which destroyed a house and a car.

The incident in Nefyn, North Wales, happened after embers stoked up by the wind set the bin alight and then spread to a central heating oil tank, causing a vapour explosion. The resulting liquid fire spread to the house.

Fire crews were called to the property just before 4.30pm on Friday, where they used a hose reel jet to extinguish the flames. It was out by 5.30pm.

Huw Roberts from North Wales Fire and Rescue Service said: "It just goes to show how careful you need to be when discarding of barbeque embers - the incident destroyed property and possessions but it could easily have been worse and led to injury and the loss of life."

Tesco pays £119,000 for fire safety law breaches

 21 April 2010

Supermarket giant Tesco has been fined £95,000 and ordered to pay over £24,000 in costs after pleading guilty to five breaches of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RRO).

London Fire Brigade, prosecuting, said fire fighters were called to a fire at Tesco's Colney Hatch store in Barnet on 14 October 2007. When they arrived found the premises locked but managed to gain access after attracting the attention of an employee who was restocking shelves. There had been a fire in the staff kitchen but it had been put out by staff using extinguishers and a fire blanket. There was still a significant amount of smoke in the kitchen, the corridor and staff locker rooms and crews had to ask staff several times to evacuate the premises.

This incident made officers concerned about fire safety in the store, so on the following day they inspected the premises. A number of breaches of fire safety legislation were found, including a failure to review the store's fire risk assessment, a failure to ensure escape routes were kept clear and inadequate fire separation due to doors being wedged open. An enforcement notice was subsequently served on 2 November 2007.

Tesco pleaded guilty to failing to keep emergency exits clear (£20,000 fine); failing to keep an emergency route clear (£20,000); two counts of fire doors being wedged open (£20,000 each) and storing flammable materials under an emergency stairwell (£15,000). Sentencing took place at Wood Green Crown Court on 20 April 2010

New BSI Door Standard

 A NEW code of practice for fire door release mechanisms has been issues by the British Standards Institution (BSI).

BS7273-4: 2007 code of practice for the operation of fire protection measures.  Activation of release mechanisms for doors will help ensure the integrity of automatic release mechanisms that operate in the event of fire.

The standard applies to all buildings that have hold-open devices for doors which release in the event of fire, electronic locks that unlock secure doors on means of escape, and power sliding doors which need to open permanently in case of fire.  It applies to all aspects of the interface between these mechanisms and a fire detection and fire alarm system.

In particular, the standard introduces a new categorisation of the release arrangements in terms of reliability to operate, particularly under defined fault conditions.  Only the highest category (Category A) is suggested for critical situations.  It also details recommendations for the sighting of smoke detectors that are intended to cause fire doors to close in a fire.

The standard is available from BSI Customer Services on 020 8996 9001; email: orders@bsi-global.com; web: www.bsi-global.com/shop

Protectu Limited fully complies with all BSI codes of practice.  Therefore, if you require advice or a free quotation to ensure you fully comply please contact us on 01235762680

 Fire Signs & Notices

The Health & Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996 relate to the use of fire safety signage in the workplace.  The regulations apply to all places and activities where people are employed and require employers to provide specific safety signage whenever there is a risk that has not been avoided or controlled by other means.

The Fire Safety Signage Regulations state that:

• Employers must use safety signs wherever there is no risk to health & Safety which cannot be controlled by other means
• Safety signs must be of a specified type
• All signs must contain a pictogram; text only signs are no longer acceptable
• Signs must be properly maintained and adequately lit
• Employers must ensure that signs are understood by employees
• Emergency escape routes and exit doors that are not in common use should be clearly indicated as appropriate by suitable signs

Do existing signs need to be changed?

In the case of safety signs, where employers decide that a previously acceptable sign is not of a type referred to in the Regulations they have until 24th December 1998 to replace it.  How can we help?

We can arrange a free survey of your premises to:

• Ensure the correct signage has been provided
• Provide a quotation for new or replacement Fire Signs & Notices
• Discuss options to resolve any specific problem unique to your premises

You are able to make the right choices for fire equipment and do not need to waste money with over supply or the wrong choice of fire equipment.

To find out more information, please contact us on 01235762680.

A residential landlord has been sent to prison.

First custodial sentence to be given in London under the new fire safety regulations.

Mehmat Parlak was sentenced to four months imprisonment and his company, Watchacre properties limited, was fined £21,000 following conviction for serious breaches of the Regulatory Reform (fire safety) Order, which came into force in October 2006.

It is a fact that many multi-occupied residential properties represent a significant threat, in terms of fire safety and many landlords and property managers are unsure about their responsibilities under the legislation. It is essential that a proper system of risk management is introduced and assessments only carried out by 'Competent Persons', as defined by law.

24 Ways to stop your building becoming an arson statistic (timeless)

Responsibility

1 In any enterprise the owner/manager or a named individual of senior grade must be made responsible for fire safety including protection from arson attack.

2 Think about the ease with which intruders/arsonists could break into the premises and take immediate steps to strengthen your defences.

3 If there have been any small fires on your won or neighbouring premises inform the police immediately as well as calling the fire brigade. A small fire could be a warning of something worse to come!

Security

4 One entrance is better than two especially if that one entrance is manned throughout the day.

5 Outer fences, walls and gates need to be high enough and strong enough to keep out intruders.

6 Doors and windows must be in good repair and locked when not in use.

7 Use good quality locks and padlocks

8 Gaps under doors should be as small as possible.

9 Letter boxes should have metal containers fitted on the inside.

10 Know who holds keys; chase any that are missing

11 Stored material of any kind should not be stacked adjacent to fences or walls where it could be set alight from outside.

Employees

12 Warn all staff of the threat from arson fires.

13 Ask them to challenge anyone who should not be on the premises and to report any suspicious activities.

14 Vet new employees.

15 Keep an eye on outside contractors.

Visitors

16 The movement of visitors within the building should be controlled

17 Ensure equipment which you have installed - extinguishers, hose-reels, alarms, detectors, sprinklers - is in good working order and protected against sabotage attempts.

End of Day checks

18 You or a named individual must be responsible for securing the building at the end of each working day.

19 Check that doors and windows are secure

20 No combustible material is left lying around.

21 No unauthorized people on premises

22 Alarms switched on

23 Outside illumination on

24 Any flammable liquids locked away in secure store.