Manchester landlord fined for breaching fire safety regulations
A Greater Manchester landlord has pleaded guilty to a number of fire safety breaches.
A Fire protection team visited Waseem Abbas’s property on Bury Old Road in Salford which was being used as a mobile phone shop, an internet cafe and a television and radio station in December 2011.
The investigation revealed that there were no fire doors in the building and other exits had been blocked by combustible materials. There were also no fire alarms and a risk assessment had not been carried out.
There was no means of escape for the upper floors of the property other than the staircase leading down to the main shop. This meant that people working on the upper floors would have been trapped in the event of a blaze on the ground floor.
Their escape attempts would have been further hampered by the bars that had been fitted on some of the upstairs windows.
He was fined £3,600 and ordered to pay £1,000 in costs.
Peter O’Reilly from Manchester Fire and Rescue Service said: “This case shows that ignorance and failing to think about fire safety can be very costly. The starting point for all businesses should be to do a fire risk assessment which will help them identify how to keep the premises safe.”
Cheshire Councillor fined £45,000 for Fire Safety Breaches
A Councillor in Cheshire has been fined for fire safety breaches at a property he rented out.
Brian Silvester was fined £45,000 at Chester Crown Court for failing to obtain the necessary license for a house in multiple occupation (HMO) and 11 other fire safety offences.
The property had broken smoke alarms, no linked alarm system, blocked escape routes and out of date fire extinguishers. The property also contained a number of factors that increased the risk of a fire breaking out such as a poor wiring and a flooded cellar.
The Councillor for Willaston appeared in court with his brother Colin Silvester who was fined £37,500 for the same offences.
The brothers pleaded guilty to all charges brought against them in relation to Shavington House Farm in Shavington when they appeared at Crewe Magistrates’ Court in July this year.
The brothers were also each ordered to pay costs of £22,000 by recorder Elgan Edwards.
Lee Shears from Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service said: “The seriousness of the breaches could ultimately have led to serious injury or potential death in the event of a fire but thankfully one didn’t occur and we’ve not had to see any of those risks realised. They were very serious breaches, some of the most serious we have seen in premises of this type.”
A former tenant at the property said that he had serious concerns over fire safety at the building he resorted to leaving a lump hammer on a window sill in his room in case he needed to evacuate the building in the event of a fire.
He said: “The first thing I thought was how to get out in case of fire. I tied a long scaffold rope from a beam which I could throw out of the window. I literally had a lump hammer and a pair of gloves on the window sill so that I could smash the frame, because it was only a small window, and slide down the rope with a pair of gloves. It wasn’t a joke and it wasn’t for show, it had been there from the day I moved in.”
Head of Community Fire Safety Keith Brooks said: “We are pleased with the result. Our aim is always to work closely with landlords, giving them all the support and guidance they need to ensure the safety of their tenants. However, failure to comply with the law can, as this case has shown, result in a prosecution.”
Suspended sentence for fire safety breach landlord
A Lancashire landlord has been given a suspended prison sentence after pleading guilty to breaching fire safety regulations.
Neal Gilligan, who is the owner of several properties in Lytham St Annes pleaded guilty to the charges brought against him at Preston Crown Court on 11th October.
Fire officers discovered the breaches after a fire broke out in one of the properties. It was found that an sufficient fire risk assessment had not been carried out and fire alarms, extinguishers and emergency lighting were not working properly.
Investigators discovered that all seven of Mr Gilligan’s properties were found to have serious fire safety failings.
The Judge at Preston Crown Court said: “It is a miracle no-one was injured or put in harm’s way,” said Susan Beech. “You showed a careless, if not wilful disregard for the safety and lives of your tenants, putting rental income before the safety of those whose rent you were only too keen to take. There is a need to send a clear message to others that disregard for important safety precautions, either once or over a prolonged period, will not go unmarked or unpunished.”
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.”