This last week has marked the first anniversary of the Grenfell tower disaster which claimed 72 lives. With the enquiry currently underway, many questions about the 'stay put' policy, integrity of cladding and fire safety management systems still remain.
Unfortunately, reporting of fire and fire safety prosecutions appear to be on the increase. In the last month, there have been a multitude of fires reported across the country which include the London Mandarin Oriental hotel and most recently The Glasgow School of Art.
Over this weekend, a fire broke out and caused significant damage to the Glasgow School of Art. More than 120 firefighters and 20 fire engines were called to tackle the blaze, which was reported at about 11.20pm on Friday by a passing police officer.
It has been reported that sprinklers had not been fitted after first fire had previously broken out at this prestigious art school. An investigation into the cause of the fire has begun. Fortunately there has not been any reported loss of life.
Also in recent news, the owner of a Grade I listed wedding venue near Crewe has been jailed for 20 months at Chester Crown Court, after pleading guilty to nine charges brought by Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service.
Mohammed Isaq, 56, had been charged with failure to comply with the Regulatory Reform Fire Safety Order 2005, failure to comply with an enforcement notice and failure to comply with a prohibition notice.
Basic fundamental fire safety requirements such as provision of adequate fire detectors, alarms and firefighting equipment were not in place. Obstruction and signage of fire exit routes and staff awareness and training were also found to be lacking.
CSC will continue to monitor how the impact of the Grenfell enquiry will no doubt affect fire safety regulation. In the meanwhile if you require advice on matters relating to fire safety legislation ad how to keep your business is kept safe please contact us.
Source
https://www.healthandsafetyatwork.com/fire/mohammed-isaq-haslington-hall