Hotel owners fined over £40,000 for fire safety breaches
The owners of a hotel in Bideford have been fined for breaching fire safety regulations after a large fire broke out in the early hours of 31st May 2011.
The company that operates Tantons Hotel, was fined around £40,000 and ordered to pay £10,000 costs at Exeter Crown Court, pleading guilty to five offences under The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
55 people were evacuated from the property, among those, four had to be rescued from the roof of the building by police and fire crews after becoming trapped by extreme heat and thick smoke.
It was found that the hotel had not maintained its fire alarm systems, it’s fire doors and fire risk assessment were inadequate and escape routes were blocked.
Graham Rooke from Bideford said: “The Judge gave a clear indication that a strong message needed to go out to those that manage and invest in hotels about the importance of fire safety. Had the finances of the company been in a stronger position, he would have considered fines of between £25,000 and £35,000 for each of the five offences.”
He added “Generally, the standards of accommodation within Devon and Somerset are very good. However, the Fire Authority believed that in this case, the fire safety breaches within the hotel were of such a serious nature that legal action was required. It is my firm belief that the actions of the on-scene emergency services and a member of the hotel staff undoubtedly saved lives that would have been lost. It is important that those people who are responsible for these types of properties understand the law regarding fire safety and what is required of them, and that they realise that any failings will be taken seriously by the service.”
Chemical company fined after major fire
A company in Doncaster has been fined over £20,00 after a major fire broke out on its premises in 2010.
The incident happened on 26th June, 2010 at Solvents with Safety Ltd on the Plumtree Farm Industrial Estate in Harworth. The building was completely destroyed in the fire.
The Health and Safety Executive found that staff had been decanting a highly flammable liquid from a large container, into a smaller one. This is known as ‘Splash Filling’ and it is known to be a serious fire risk as static electricity is generated, which in certain circumstances can cause the liquid and vapours to ignite.
The Health and Safety Executive told Doncaster Magistrates Court that it had warned Solvents with Safety twice about decanting chemicals in this way in May 2006 and later in December 2007.
The company was fined £20,000 under Reg 6(1) of the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 and also had to pay almost £7,000 in costs.
HSE inspector Jayne Towey said: “The method they used was fraught with risk to say the least, and the generation of static charge could have been prevented by the provision of a longer filling pipe to avoid splash filling. This was a reasonably practicable measure to take, and the company was well aware of the dangers on the back of earlier HSE advice.”
Celebrity hairdresser fined £40,000 for fire safety breaches
A celebrity hairdresser whose clients list includes the Duchess of Cambridge, Tara Palmer Tompkinson and Pixi Geldof has been fined £40,000 after one of his stylists suffered third degree burns in a fire at his London salon in Conduit Street.
Stylist Gail Purcell received serious burns when her skirt was set alight by a decorative candle at the Daniel Hersheson salon in London.
It is believed that Ms Purcell was forced to run to various parts of the building trying to find water to put the fire out.
No fire alarm was activated during the incident and other staff members seemed to be unaware of how to deal with the fire. No first aid was given to Ms Purcell before paramedics arrived on the scene.
Ms Purcell was taken to Chelsea and Westminster hospital suffering from third degree burns.
London Fire Brigade carried out an inspection at the property where a number of serious safety concerns emerged.
They discovered that fire doors were propped open, corridors were blocked, fire alarms were not working properly and the fire risk assessment was insufficient.
Rudan Ltd, trading as Daniel Hersheson, pleaded guilty to two offences under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and the company was sentenced at Southwark Crown Court and ordered to pay a fine of £10,000 for each of the two offences and £20,000 costs.
London Fire Brigades’s Deputy Assistant Commissioner for Fire Safety Regulation Lee Phillpotts said: ‘Business owners have a clear responsibility under fire safety law to ensure that both the public and their employees are safe from the risk of fire. This verdict sends a clear message that if these responsibilities are ignored we will not hesitate in prosecuting and serious penalties are likely to be imposed. People should always be extremely careful when using candles. You should never leave them unattended and keep them well away from any flammable materials.’
Neighbour rescues family from burning house
A mother and five children were rescued from their Margate home after a fire broke out in the kitchen.
Officials say that it is thought the fire started when an electric cooker was left on accidentally at around 2.30am on 29th September.
The mother and children were trapped on the first floor as fire spread from the kitchen.
A neighbour managed to break a small window with a shovel and help rescue the mother and children. The family were quickly taken to hospital for treatment for smoke inhalation.
The neighbour who witnessed the fire told the BBC: “We heard screaming and shouting and looked out of the window and saw black smoke billowing out of the bathroom window and a young lady screaming out. Me and the wife went out and had a good look and ended up smashing the window and pulling the children through the window. There were two of us. There was another chap. He was leaning against the railings where the little window is and the mother was passing the children out.”
Fire chiefs said it appeared a smoke alarm fitted on the ground floor failed to activate. This was probably due to batteries being inserted incorrectly.
Margate watch manager Paul Ward said: “While we would always advise people not to enter a building that is on fire, the man’s actions in rescuing this family were extremely brave and with considerable risk to his own safety.”
Blaze at Royal Seven Stars Hotel in Totnes
Eight fire crews from Totnes and Paignton attended a large fire at a hotel in Totnes on Saturday 29th September..
Crews spent around 4 hours at the Royal Seven Stars Hotel, in The Plains, after a blaze broke out in the kitchen area just before 10pm. Additional crews from Torquay and Crownhill were later called to assist with the operation.
All 35 guests at the hotel were evacuated safely with no reported casualties. Guests were later transferred to alternative accommodation at the nearby Grand Hotel in Torquay.
The fire started in the ground floor kitchen and quickly spread to the first floor ballroom. Smoke was seen billowing from the first floor.
The fire was under control by around 2.30am and by 3.04am, the fire service confirmed the fire had been fully extinguished.
The hotel has confirmed that it plans to remain open although due to smoke and fire damage, the ballroom would be out of use for a few weeks.
A spokesperson for the Royal Seven Stars said: “The Royal Seven Stars had a fire last night. We are open for business in the bars as usual, but no food for 2 days. The ballroom will be out of use for a few weeks but will be open as usual from November onwards.”
They added: “Thanks for all the kind messages, no one was hurt. We have some damage to kitchen and ballroom only. We are open as usual, but no food today.”
Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service confirm that the fire started in the kitchen area and involved deep fat fryers.