Huge fines for safety breach firms
Two companies and a manager have been fined for failing to meet fire safety regulations which lead to the death of an employee. Mark Wright suffered 90% burns when an aerosol he had been instructed to dispose of exploded.
Deeside Metal Company was fined £100,000 and £10,000 in costs, Jeyes UK Ltd was fined £330,000 and £50,000 in costs. The manager of Deeside Metal Company Ltd, Robert Roberts who instructed Mr Wright to dispose of the canisters in a metal baler was also fined £10,000.
All parties pleaded guilty to the charges at Caernarfon Crown Court.
‘Are you sitting comfortably’ campaign shows sofa safety puts lives at risk
Research carried out on sofas at a testing centre in the Netherlands has found that 25 out of 27 European Union member states do not meet the required fire safety standards.
One sofa manufactured in the Netherlands burnt so fiercely that the test centre had to be evacuated demonstrating the seriousness of the problem. Some sofas tested reached life threatening heat density within 2-7 minutes of ignition. Sofas made in the UK did not reach this level of heat density for around 20 minutes.
A campaign titled ‘Are you sitting comfortably’ has been launched across the European Union in an attempt to highlight the risks to other countries. The campaign includes a website that offers an interactive tool allowing people to watch how fast their country’s sofa burnt in comparison to sofas in other EU countries.
It is important to remember that buying your sofa in the UK does not guarantee that it adheres to the required safety standards because buying in the UK does not necessarily mean made in the UK. Consumers are encouraged to check the permanent safety label which is usually found under the sofa cushions.
Former fire chief, Robert Graham MBE said “We are calling on EU decision makers to put a Europe-wide single fire safety standard in place – the same fire safety standard that already exists in the UK and Ireland. We all deserve to be safe”.
Hefty fine for Nottingham events organiser
A Nottingham event organiser has been fined £24,000 after failing to adhere to fire safety regulations.
Michael Snow, organiser of a Mansfield car boot fair pleaded guilty to eight breaches of fire safety regulations. Mr Snow appealed and had his fine reduced to around £12,000. He was also given a 6 month suspended sentence and ordered to carry out unpaid work in the community.
The case serves as a reminder that temporary events organisers are bound by the same rules as other business owners and are not exempt from complying with fire safety regulations.
Yorkshire landlord pleads guilty to eight fire safety violations
A North Yorkshire landlord has pleaded guilty to a series of fire safety breaches at his property in Scarborough.
Mr Banki was reported to the authorities after North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service found that the property he owned had insufficient fire exits, alarms and emergency lighting.
Prosecuting officer, Karen Galloway said, “The contraventions in this case were serious and would have continued had the fire authority and Scarborough Borough Council not acted immediately by serving a prohibition notice on the Responsible Person.”
Lazlo Banki is due to appear at York Crown Court next month for sentencing.
£50,000 fine for ‘Death Trap’ store
Poundstretcher Ltd has pleaded guilty to serious fire safety breaches at its Huddersfield store.
A fire safety inspector found that the store was putting its staff and customers at serious risk of injury or death due to a catalogue of safety failings at the store.
Inspectors discovered that only one fire exit was in use, but was not working properly and could actually have trapped them inside the building rather than helping them escape. Other exits that were not in use were blocked by large amounts of combustible material.
Before the failings were discovered, a risk assessment had been carried out and recommendations had been made but were not actioned at the store.
The Company has been fined £50,000 for the breaches. In the past 18 months it has also had to pay out over £20,000 for failings at other stores in Wakefield and Halifax.
The Company accepted responsibility and immediately set about rectifying all of the issues. Poundstretcher company secretary, Martin Collinson said, “We note the comments of the judge and we have to take what he said very seriously”.