Asda store fined over £55,000 for breaching fire safety regulations
Asda Stores Limited has been fined over £55,000 after being found guilty of fire safety breaches at a store in Berkshire.
The Company appeared at Reading Crown Court on 6th June, pleading guilty to two charges under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
Royal Berkshire Fire Authority (RBFA) discovered the breaches following an inspection of the Asda store in Cippenham, near Slough on 24th June 2010. The breaches presented a serious risk to staff and customers.
William Clegg QC, told the court that the inspection showed several breaches including fire exits chained and locked shut, blocked fire escapes, fire exit doors wedged open and combustible items blocking escape routes. The company had previously been served with a caution for contravening fire safety regulations. Judge Grainger fined the company £20,000 for each offence, with full costs totaling £15,647.
David Walden, the Authority’s fire-safety legal support manager, said: “This was a clear case of a major retailing company failing to comply with fire-safety regulations and, by doing so, placing people at serious risk. It also provides further evidence that some businesses continue to treat compliance with fire-safety legislation as an option – it is not. Staff and customers are entitled to feel safe when working at, or visiting, a supermarket, or any other business. We will continue with our efforts to ensure that any business owner, or manager who refuses to take these obligations seriously will be brought before the courts.”