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Anglia Fire Assessments News

Residential Care Home Fires

This year there have been two serious fires in care homes in England, we have to congratulate the fire service for their brave and untiring efforts in saving so many residents from the effects of these fires. Unfortunately persons did die in one of the fires despite the best efforts of the emergency services.

It appears from the news broadcasts that the fatal fire started in the roof space and spread throughout the building.

The second fire is believed to have started in a timber smoking shelter that was located adjacent to the outside of the building, it is good practice not to locate easily combustible structures within 6 to 10m of any building for this very reason.

A number of serious questions will be asked during the investigation phase of this tragedy that no doubt will be aired at some subsequent inquest or even a court case.

All Responsible Persons should not forget that they have a duty to ensure that fire cannot spread easily within a property and that there are adequate arrangements in place to be able to evacuate the occupiers without the aid of the Fire and Rescue Service.

The clue is in the name, it is the ‘rescue service and not the evacuation service’ as was once stated at a seminar that I attended on the very issue of evacuation.

Review your risk assessment and take care.

Contractors working in your building

Once again we see that a building under refurbishment has suffered a devastating fire.

Whats so special about that you may ask?

This building in Glasgow famous for its architecture was badly damaged by fire just four years ago and now it and two neighbouring buildings have been severely damaged for a second time.

One has to ask what was learned from the first fire?

What procedures did they have in place to monitor the safety of the building and as they have just spent in the region of 30 million in the refurbishment
who is now going to pay for the rebuild for the second time?

When we train staff in fire safety we always state the ‘Contractors burn down buildings’, statistics show that any building where refurbishment is taking place is at a far greater risk than a normally used building.

Ensure that you have a robust fire safety management fire safety system in place to protect the business and its continuity. this also applies to homes ofcourse.

 

 

 

Fire Safety Act 2021

The Fire Safety Act 2021 (FSA), which is now law in England and Wales, is essentially an update and clarification of the  Fire Safety Order 2005. The primary role of the act is to bring fire regulations and standards up to date, taking account of the lessons learnt from the tragic Grenfell fire. Though the act only consists of three primary parts, it has major implications for responsible persons.
So if you are the person responsible for any residential building, you could be held personally liable for any future failures. The Fire safety Act originates from issues with fire safety issues in high-rise structures, but it also applies to any building containing two or more domestic properties, with new or amended rules that apply to the building’s structure, external walls, and any common parts, including the front doors to each flat. Importantly, the act clarifies those references to external walls in the Fire Safety Order order to include ‘doors or windows in those walls’ and ‘anything attached to the exterior of those walls (including balconies)’.

 

Landlord Fined

A trading estate landlord from Keynsham has been ordered to pay almost £15,500 for breaching multiple regulations, including fire safety.

Allan Dykes pleaded guilty to five offences under the Building Regulations Act 2010, for which he was fined £13,000 by North Avon Magistrates’ Court on August 26. He must also pay a victim surcharge of £120 and £2,348 in costs to South Gloucestershire Council in relation to the violations at the Bridge Road trading estate in the Kingswood area of Bristol.

Fire & Ice

Fire safety in remote locations such as the Antarctic is vital as there is no normal fire service to be called upon.Anglia Fire Assessments is therefore pleased to record that Phillip Leeder MiFireE our senior consultant/trainer was asked to travel to this most remote region to carry out a fire risk assessment of Rothera which is the main Antarctic base for the British Antarctic Survey.

Rothera consists of a number of various risks from aircraft hangers to sleeping accommodation and Phillip also reviewed the general fire procedures and the use of breathing apparatus by the small fire crew that is formed from the workforce.

Phillip spent 10 days  on this very interesting assignment and was very impressed by the standards displayed by all the staff that he worked with at the base.

 

Fire safety in HIMO’s

A recent inspection of a domestic sized HIMO that is used for student accommodation in Norwich revealed a series of failings on behalf of both the landlord and the letting agency:

  • No acceptable fire detection system.
  • Three smoke alarms were fitted, two did not work, they were all battery operated and not interlinked.
  • Several of the first floor windows did not meet the criteria for escape windows and as a result of that the property should have had fire doors to protect the escape from the first floor.
  • There was in fact no door to the kitchen so any fire in the kitchen would have directly compromised the means of escape from the first floor.
  • No first aid firefighting equipment and no fire instructions.
  • No Portable Appliance Testing
  • Most fatalities occur in house fires, HIMOs are a very high risk.

If you are responsible for fire safety in such properties think carefully, its no good having a nice carpet if the occupants are trapped upstairs and are dying!

Contact us for advice on your responsibilities, do not rely on a letting agency that does not understand the principles of fire safety.

Electrical appliance and battery safety

The London Fire Brigade have issued a warning about the use of e bikes and scooters and their associated batteries. Many fires have been recorded as having been caused by these devices.

Be careful where you charge these bikes and scooters as if they malfunction the resulting fire can be very serious and potentially life threatening.

Fridge freezers have also been highlighted as being a very potent fire hazard if a fault occurs, be sure to clean the rear of the freezer on a regular basis and do not position it in a place that may compromise your means of escape should it catch fire.

The continuing risk that LIPO batteries present should not be forgotten, treat them with care, do not let them get damp or overcharge them by using the wrong charger. Consider where you charge any LIPO battery and this means your phone as if it should go wrong then a small fire involving the battery can soon become a developing fire if it is close to an item that will burn easily.
I recently received photographs of a fire that started in a kitchen draw because loose batteries had come into contact with a conductor that caused a short circuit resulting in a fire within the draw.

Common parts of blocks of flats come under the Fire Safety Order 2005

Whilst in most cases fire detection systems are not required in the common areas,the basis of the fire safety management system is reliant on the standard of entrance door that each flat is provided with.

If you would like assistance to manage the fire safety in your premises please give Anglia Fire Assessments a call on 01603 872984

Your fire safety managment system should be robust and self reliant and your staff should be trained to be able to effectively operate emergency equipment or implement procedures that you have provided or established.

Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans or PEEP’s should be formulated for anyone that frequents your workplace.

Generic Emergency Evacuation Plans or GEEP’s should be formulated for members of the public.

A very comprehensive report covering all aspects of fire safety as it related to our circumstances.…
Guildhall Feoffment Trust (Bury St. Edmunds)
You spoke so clearly about everything, and took so much trouble with us when we practiced with the various types of fire extinguisher.…
Mrs Rosie Fottit, Secretary
Reepham PCC
All fire marshals and deputy fire marshals have received comprehensive, hands on training, which is invaluable.…
Hannah Brown, Corporate Responsibility Manager
Brandbank Limited (a Nielsen company)
It was clear that Phillip possessed both the experience and passion to provide a first class service.…
Mark Durrant, Regional Park Manager
Blue Sky Leisure (Kelling Heath Holiday Park & Zaks restaurants)
A very competitive, fast and efficient service; one which was friendly, but thorough.…
Geoff Parkinson, Site Coordinator
Taverham High School Norwich
Anglia Fire Assessments... extensive experience, knowledge and dynamic training skills.…
Steve Marshall, Health and Safety Adviser
British Antarctic Survey (Cambridge)
You tailored your presentation to our specific requirements, it was all very relevant to the workplace we have here…
Peter Young, NYA Service Centre (Aftersales)
Brundall Bay Marina, Norfolk
The practical exercises with the fire extinguishers are always enjoyable, but more importantly, provide real experience.…
Amanda Smy, Training Support Officer
Independance Matters
The comprehensive knowledge and advice has been extremely helpful to our firm.…
Andrew Barnes, Managing Partner
Howes Percival LLP (Solicitors)
All of our training sessions are evaluated and Phil’s always come out with a 100% satisfaction, with very positive feedback.…
Andrew Goodall, Health and Safety Manager
West Suffolk College, Bury St Edmunds
We just wanted to say that this was the best fire training that we have attended…
Sarah Goodwin, Project Support Administrator
Break Charity
Thank you for providing the excellent presentation to our team of stewards. It was so well put together.…
Caroline Williams, Front of House Manager
Norwich Theatre Royal
We all agreed that the presentation/fire training was professional and informative.…
Kathi Hill
PFB Construction Management Services Ltd
Concise and easy to follow Risk Assessments, giving clear guidance on the actions to be taken.…
Colin Shearer, Deputy Administrator
Holkham Hall Estate
I received comments to the effect that his presentation was the best fire safety presentation they had experienced in years!…
Lincolnshire NHS Teaching Primary Care Trust
This type of training is invaluable to all sizes of organisation. It has definitely achieved value for money.…
Norfolk County Council Passenger Transport Group
It assures me as a Premises Manager that the sites that are under my responsibility have been assessed so thoroughly.…
Debbie Middleton, Area Office Manager
Norfolk County Council
Extensive knowledge of these areas in which he is able use very good examples to bring into and enhance his training material.…
Bryan Hurst, Training Manager
Bernard Matthews PLC
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