Anglia Fire Assessments News

This year there have been two serious fires in care homes in England, we have to congratulate the fire service for their brave and untiring efforts in saving so many residents from the effects of these fires. Unfortunately persons did die in one of the fires despite the best efforts of the emergency services.

It appears from the news broadcasts that the fatal fire started in the roof space and spread throughout the building.

The second fire is believed to have started in a timber smoking shelter that was located adjacent to the outside of the building, it is good practice not to locate easily combustible structures within 6 to 10m of any building for this very reason.

A number of serious questions will be asked during the investigation phase of this tragedy that no doubt will be aired at some subsequent inquest or even a court case.

All Responsible Persons should not forget that they have a duty to ensure that fire cannot spread easily within a property and that there are adequate arrangements in place to be able to evacuate the occupiers without the aid of the Fire and Rescue Service.

The clue is in the name, it is the ‘rescue service and not the evacuation service’ as was once stated at a seminar that I attended on the very issue of evacuation.

Review your risk assessment and take care.

Once again we see that a building under refurbishment has suffered a devastating fire.

Whats so special about that you may ask?

This building in Glasgow famous for its architecture was badly damaged by fire just four years ago and now it and two neighbouring buildings have been severely damaged for a second time.

One has to ask what was learned from the first fire?

What procedures did they have in place to monitor the safety of the building and as they have just spent in the region of 30 million in the refurbishment
who is now going to pay for the rebuild for the second time?

When we train staff in fire safety we always state the ‘Contractors burn down buildings’, statistics show that any building where refurbishment is taking place is at a far greater risk than a normally used building.

Ensure that you have a robust fire safety management fire safety system in place to protect the business and its continuity. this also applies to homes ofcourse.

The Fire Safety Act 2021 (FSA), which is now law in England and Wales, is essentially an update and clarification of the  Fire Safety Order 2005. The primary role of the act is to bring fire regulations and standards up to date, taking account of the lessons learnt from the tragic Grenfell fire. Though the act only consists of three primary parts, it has major implications for responsible persons.
So if you are the person responsible for any residential building, you could be held personally liable for any future failures. The Fire safety Act originates from issues with fire safety issues in high-rise structures, but it also applies to any building containing two or more domestic properties, with new or amended rules that apply to the building’s structure, external walls, and any common parts, including the front doors to each flat. Importantly, the act clarifies those references to external walls in the Fire Safety Order order to include ‘doors or windows in those walls’ and ‘anything attached to the exterior of those walls (including balconies)’.

A trading estate landlord from Keynsham has been ordered to pay almost £15,500 for breaching multiple regulations, including fire safety.

Allan Dykes pleaded guilty to five offences under the Building Regulations Act 2010, for which he was fined £13,000 by North Avon Magistrates’ Court on August 26. He must also pay a victim surcharge of £120 and £2,348 in costs to South Gloucestershire Council in relation to the violations at the Bridge Road trading estate in the Kingswood area of Bristol.

Fire safety in remote locations such as the Antarctic is vital as there is no normal fire service to be called upon.Anglia Fire Assessments is therefore pleased to record that Phillip Leeder MiFireE our senior consultant/trainer was asked to travel to this most remote region to carry out a fire risk assessment of Rothera which is the main Antarctic base for the British Antarctic Survey.

Rothera consists of a number of various risks from aircraft hangers to sleeping accommodation and Phillip also reviewed the general fire procedures and the use of breathing apparatus by the small fire crew that is formed from the workforce.

Phillip spent 10 days  on this very interesting assignment and was very impressed by the standards displayed by all the staff that he worked with at the base.

A recent inspection of a domestic sized HIMO that is used for student accommodation in Norwich revealed a series of failings on behalf of both the landlord and the letting agency:

• No acceptable fire detection system.
• Three smoke alarms were fitted, two did not work, they were all battery operated and not interlinked.
• Several of the first floor windows did not meet the criteria for escape windows and as a result of that the property should have had fire doors to protect the escape from the first floor.
• There was in fact no door to the kitchen so any fire in the kitchen would have directly compromised the means of escape from the first floor.
• No first aid firefighting equipment and no fire instructions.
• No Portable Appliance Testing
• Most fatalities occur in house fires, HIMOs are a very high risk.

If you are responsible for fire safety in such properties think carefully, its no good having a nice carpet if the occupants are trapped upstairs and are dying!

Contact us for advice on your responsibilities, do not rely on a letting agency that does not understand the principles of fire safety.

The London Fire Brigade have issued a warning about the use of e bikes and scooters and their associated batteries. Many fires have been recorded as having been caused by these devices.

Be careful where you charge these bikes and scooters as if they malfunction the resulting fire can be very serious and potentially life threatening.

Fridge freezers have also been highlighted as being a very potent fire hazard if a fault occurs, be sure to clean the rear of the freezer on a regular basis and do not position it in a place that may compromise your means of escape should it catch fire.

The continuing risk that LIPO batteries present should not be forgotten, treat them with care, do not let them get damp or overcharge them by using the wrong charger. Consider where you charge any LIPO battery and this means your phone as if it should go wrong then a small fire involving the battery can soon become a developing fire if it is close to an item that will burn easily.
I recently received photographs of a fire that started in a kitchen draw because loose batteries had come into contact with a conductor that caused a short circuit resulting in a fire within the draw.

Whilst in most cases fire detection systems are not required in the common areas,the basis of the fire safety management system is reliant on the standard of entrance door that each flat is provided with.

If you would like assistance to manage the fire safety in your premises please give Anglia Fire Assessments a call on 01603 872984

Your fire safety managment system should be robust and self reliant and your staff should be trained to be able to effectively operate emergency equipment or implement procedures that you have provided or established.

Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans or PEEP’s should be formulated for anyone that frequents your workplace.

Generic Emergency Evacuation Plans or GEEP’s should be formulated for members of the public.