Prosecutions - Why we shouldn't ignore the RRO!
Source: The Fire Protection Association - Fire Risk Management Journal
5th August 2013, Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service
Defendant - Graham Sawings, Blackpool based landlord
Charged with multiple fire safety failures, including failure maintain the fire detection and warning system, failure to provide a suitable fire evacuation plan, failure to provide fire-fighting equipment and failure to maintain fire resisting doors.
Fined £36,000 plus £7000 in costs
1st August 2013, Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service
Defendant - Gurpartap Singh Bhullar, Company Director of Bellforce Developments, owners of a Slough based House of Multiple Occupation
Charged with multiple fire safety failures, including failure to conduct a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment, failure to take general life precautions for persons sleeping on the premises, failure to provide adequate means of detection and giving warning in the event of a fire.
Bhullar received a fine of £6,750, and Bellforce Developments received a fine of £13,500. Additionally, they were ordered to pay court costs of £21,732.62 to the fire authority.
20th July 2013, Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service
Defendant - Askar Miah, Southampton based landlord
Pleaded guilty to multiple fire safety failures, including failure to provide means of detection and giving warning in the event of a fire, failure to keep escape routes clear of obstructions and poor structural fire separation.
Fined £36,000, and ordered to pay costs of £3,816
11th July 2013, Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service
Defendant - Derek Sweeney, director of the Travellers Rest at Gransmere in Cumbria
6 fire safety failures, including failure to conduct a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment, failure to provide means of detection and giving warning in the event of a fire, failure to provide adequate means of fighting a fire, failure to provide adequate means of escape from the premises, failure to protect the means of escape from the effects of fire.
Fined a total of £14,420
28th May 2013, Cleveland Fire Service
Defendant - Nicholas Hyde, the owner of multiple flats
5 fire safety failures, including a lack of a working fire alarm system, exposed electrical wires, damaged and scorched sockets and switches, a serious fire risk from large quantities of rubbish inside and outside the building, and a lack of heating - causing residents to use cookers and portable heaters to keep warm.
Fined £18,000 plus £3,082 in costs
17th May 2013, North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service
Defendant - Alan Foster, the owner of multiple flats
Failure to keep the stairwell clear of combustible materials and waste, failure to maintain fire doors, failure to conduct a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment..
Jailed for 12 months
8th May 2013, Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service
Defendant - Mr Mohammed Attique, the ownerof a takeaway restaurant in Blackpool
9 fire safety failures, including, but not limited to, failure to conduct a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment, failure to provide adequate means of detection and giving warning in the event of a fire, failure to provide adequate means of fighting a fire, failure to provide suitable means of escape from the premises, and blocked escape routes.
Fined a total of £9,000 plus £2,607 in court costs
1st May 2013, London Fire Brigade
Defendants - Winsmill Limited, and director Ron Kemeny
Failure to equip the building with appropriate fire detectors, no fire doors on the ground floor, no self-closing doors leading onto the building's escape routes, and failure to provide a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment.
Winsmill Limited - Fined £30,000; Ron Kemeny - 4 month suspended jail sentence (suspended for 12 months)
19th March 2013, Lancashire Fire & Rescue Service
Defendant - D. M. Care, the owner of the Ambassador Care Home in Blackpool
7 fire safety failures, including a failure to provide a suitable means of giving warning in the event of a fire, and failure to keep the escape route clear of combustible materials and ignition source.
Fined £35,000 plus £5,375 in costs
12th March 2013, London Fire Brigade
Defendant - Anthony O'Leary, leaseholder of the former Tavern Inn the Town on Castle Road
Failure to provide a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment, failure to provide any means of giving warning in the event of a fire, inadequate means of escape from the building, breaching a prohibition notice, and failure to provide emergency lighting.
Sentenced to 9 months imprisonment for breaching the prohibition notice, and 6 months for each other offence. All sentences were suspended for 2 years and will run concurrently.
13th December 2012, North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service
Defendant - Jack Wills (Fashion Retailer)
Failure to maintain fire doors, failing to keep the under-stair electrical switch gear room clear of combustible materials, failure to keep the protected stairwell clear of combustible materials, failure to provide the secondary escape route with adequate signage, failure to comply with an enforcement notice.
Fined £27,000 plus £5,619 in costs
10th December 2012, Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service
Defendant - Tahir Ahmed, leaseholder of a building being used as both a commercial shop and a house of multiple occupation
Failure to carry out a fire risk assessment; failure to maintain the fire alarm provided in the premises; failure to maintain the emergency lighting; failure to provide the relevant fire doors in the premises; failure to ensure the means of escape were clear.
Fined £12,000 plus £6,278.50 in costs
3rd December 2012, Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service
Defendant - Martin McColls Ltd.
Failure to review the fire risk assessment; failure to ensure that the outstanding issues identified by the fire risk assessment were put into place; securing the fire exit door with a padlock; failure to maintain fire safety equipment; failure to ensure that the manager of the premises had been adequately trained.
Fined £17,000 plus £3,817.51 in costs
23rd November 2012, Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service
Defendants - Brian Silvester (Willaston ward councillor), Colin Silvester
Multiple charges, including failure to provide a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment; failure to provide an adequate means of giving warning in the event of a fire; failure to provide adequate means of escape from the premises.
Brian Silvester fined £45,000 plus £22,000 in costs
Colin Silvester fined £37,000 plus £22,000 in costs
8th November 2012, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service
Defendant - Mr Waseem Abbas (Leaseholder of Touch Link in Salford)
Failure to provide a suitable escape route from the first and second floors; failure to carry out a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment; failing to provide an adequate means of detecting and raising the alarm in case of fire.
Fined £21,000 plus £5,187 in costs
7th November 2012, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service
Defendant - Mr Javed Waraich (Owner of a Premier convenience store in Manchester)
Failure to carry out a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment; failing to take measures to prevent the spread of fire to upper floors; failing to provide an appropriate means of detecting and raising the alarm in case of fire; failing to provide an adequate escape route from the first and second floors due to an excessive travel distance for a single direction means of escape; failing to provide adequate fire resistance to the escape route; failing to ensure that emergency doors were not locked or fastened so as to be easily openable in an emergency by providing a final exit door that requires the use of a key; failing to provide emergency lighting on the escape route; failure to comply with the requirements of an enforcement notice.
Fined £9,259
2nd August 2012, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service
Defendant - Mr Tahair Mahmood Arif (Owner of an off-license)
Failure to provide an escape route from the living accommodation above his shop; failure to provide a fire alarm system; failure to keep escape routes clear; windows on first floor secured by external metal roller shutters; breach of a prohibition notice issued by the fire and rescue service.
Fined £22,000 plus £4,195 in costs
12th July 2012, East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service
Defendant - Ms Samantha Coull (Owner of Beach Break Café)
Failure to take measures to ensure the premises were safe from fire; failure to provide a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment; failure to provide an appropriate fire alarm system; failure to provide emergency lighting; travel distances exceeding the maximum permitted distance.
Fined £21,000 plus £5,187 in costs
7th June 2012, Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service
Defendant - B&M Bargains
Failure to carry out a suitable and sufficient risk assessment; fire exits and exit routes obstructed; exit route led to locked enclosed area; failure to ensure employees recieved adequate fire safety training; fire doors locked and unable to be used in an emergency.
Fined £27,000 plus over £6,000 in costs
6th June 2012, Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service
Defendant - Asda
Fire exit doors locked and unable to be used in an emergency; exit routes obstructed.
Fined £40,000 plus over £15,000 in costs
6th February 2012, London Fire Brigade
Defendant - The Chumleigh Lodge Hotel Limited
Failure to carry out a suitable and sufficient risk assessment; failure to provide staff with adequate fire sfety training; failure to ensure emergency routes from the premises are kept clear; failure to adequately equip premises with fire detectors; two counts of failure to ensure premises, facilities, equipment or devices are maintained in an efficient state, in working order and in good repair.
Fined £210,000 plus £50,000 in costs
17th January 2012, Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service
Defendant - Buffet City Ltd
Not having a working fire alarm; failing to undertake a fire risk assessment; not providing a fire exit that could be used in an emergency without a key; storing combustibles on the means of escape; no working escape lighting; and failing to plan and have appropriate procedures.
Fined £24,067 in fines and court costs
13th January 2012, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service
Defendant - Delicious Foods Ltd of Liverpool Road, Eccles
Failure to carry out a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment; failure to provide a suitable escape route; and failure to provide a fire alarm or warning system in case of fire.
The upper part of the premises had been used as a sleeping area and for general accommodation purposes. The only escape route from the upper floors was a single staircase which led into the commercial kitchen. There had been no evidence of any system to raise the alarm in case of fire. Nor had there been any any emergency lighting present and the fire extinguishers had not been properly maintained.
Fined £13,000
4th January 2012, Nottingham Fire and Rescue Service
Defendant - Mohammed Munir, Quilt making businessman and former Lord Mayor of Nottingham
Failure to carry out a suitable and sufficient risk assessment, failure to comply with an enforcement order, failure to ensure an effective means of escape from the premises, failure to ensure that exit routes were clear at all times, failure to provide adequate emergency lighting in emergency routes and exits, failure to ensure that non-automatic firefighting equipment provided was easily accessible, simple to use and indicated by signs.
Sentenced to 26 weeks imprisonment suspended for two years
Also ordered to do 180 hours unpaid work and pay £4,000 in costs
29th June 2011
Defendant - Douglad and Gordon Ltd
Failure to install a fire alarm system; failure to ensure electrical intake cupboard remains locked; failure to act upon the significant findings of the fire risk assessment.
Fined £100,000 plus £13,000 in costs
29th June 2011
Defendant - Atomlynn Ltd
pleaded guilty to one offence under the fire safety order
Fined £33,000 plus £6,440 in costs
5th May 2011, Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service
Defendant - O&C Holdsworth Ltd (Owners of the Penhallow Hotel)
Failure to have safety procedures and equpiment in place
Fined £80,000 plus £62,000 costs
21st December 2010, London Fire Brigade
Defendant - Greggs
A number of contraventions including blocked corridors and a fire exit that was shut tight with four padlocks.
Fined £50,000 plus over £20,000 costs
15th November 2010, Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service
Defendant - Event Organiser (Car Boot Fair)
Eight breaches of fire safety regulations including blocked potential fire exits.
6 Months Suspended Sentence.
Fined £24,000 plus £9,000 costs.
Following a review the fine was reduced by 50% because of the candid statements given by the organiser.
9th November 2010, West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service
Defendant - Poundstretcher
Seven breaches of the Fire Safety Order including fire exits obstructed, fire risk assessment not regularly updated and insufficient fire safety training to staff.
Fined £51,500 plus over £3,400 costs
6th October 2010, Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service
Defendant - Hallmark Hotels (The Belfry, Winslow)
Three violations of fire safety regulations including faulty smoke detectors and unsiotable fire exits.
Fined £75,000 (£25,000 per offence) plus £53,000 costs
24th September 2010, London Fire Brigade
Defendant - Ventures Hotel
Blocked emergency exits, wedged open fire doors, unsiotable and insufficient Fire Risk Assessment.
Fined £27,000 (Owner) and £5,000 (Manager)
24th September 2010, London Fire Brigade
Defendant - Owner of a House in Multiple Occupation
Seven breaches including lack of suitable and sufficient Fire Risk Assessment and absence of appropriate fire-fighting equipment.
Fined £16,000 including costs.
20th September 2010, Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service
Defendant - 2nd Stop Pub
Untested fire extinguishers, fire escape routes blocked, fire detection system faulty, no fire evacuation training for staff, inadequate emergency lighting.
Fined £6,565 and £7,123 costs
9th August 2010, North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service
Defendant - China Wok Restaurant, Stokesley
Ten breaches of the Fire Safety Order including a lack of fire alarm and detection system.
Fined £15,000
8th July 2010, London Fire Brigade
Defendant - New Kong Nam Food Production Company
No adequate fire detection, inadequate emergency lighting, no adequate fire safety training, no fire protection to the first floor escape route, no emergency plan and no suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment.
Fined - 14,000
Costs - £6,380
26th April 2010, Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service
Defendant - Cooperative Group
Failing to keep the rear emergency exit doors unlocked for use in an emergency; fitting a lock requiring a security code on an emergency door between the retail and storage areas, which could not be easily opened in an emergency; obstructing a fire alarm and call-point in the storage area - thus potentially delaying fire alarm activation and early warning to building occupants; a lack of suitable and sufficient fire safety instruction and training for the store manager; a fire alarm system that was not regularly tested; having no means of early detection of fire in the retail area and thus not providing early warning to the occupants of the manager’s office for safe evacuation.
Fined £210,000 including £28,000 costs
21st April 2010 - London Fire Brigade
Defendant - Tesco
Failure to review fire risk assessment; failure to keep emergency exit route clear; wedging fire doors open; storing flammable materials under an emergency stairwell.
Fined £95,000
Costs £24,000
25th November 2009, London Fire Brigade
Defendant - New Look Clothes Store
Unsuitable and Insufficient Fire Risk Assessment - fined £250,000
Failure to provide adequate training - fined £150,000
£136,000 costs.
16th October 2009; Devon & Somerset Fire and Rescues Service
Defendant - Michael Scott-Hake (Edwardian in Heavitree Road, Exeter)
Enforcement orders breaches related to:
Sub-standard fire doors
Inadequate smoke detection in some areas.
Fine - £3415
Costs - £4900
17th June 2009, London Fire Brigade
Defendant: Shoalacre Ltd.
Guilty plea to 7 contraventions of RRO
Fine - £25,000 (inc costs)
12th June 2009, London Fire Brigade
Defendant: building’s owners Michael de Havilland and Sally Fox
House converted into bedsits
Sentence - Six Months Imprisonment
£5,000 costs per defendent
2nd June 2009, London Fire Brigade
Defendant - Shell International Ltd
Blocked escape routes and fire exits, defective fire doors,excessive fire loading
Fined - £300,000
£45,000 costs
20th October 2008, London Fire Brigade
Defendant : Parlak and Watchacre Properties
Failure to make a suitable and sufficient Fire Risk Assessment;
Failure to make and give effect to appropriate fire safety arrangements;
Failure to provide appropriate fire fighting equipment;
Failure to provide adequate smoke alarms in the common parts of the premises;
Failure to ensure that routes to emergency exits from the premises and the exits were clear;
Failure to ensure that persons were able to evacuate the premises as quickly and safely as possible, in that the escape route was not properly protected;
Failure to ensure that there was adequate signage at the premises;
Failure to establish and give effect to appropriate procedures to be followed in the event of serious and imminent danger.
Sentence - 4 months imprisonment (Mr Parlak)
Plus Fine - £21,000 (Parlak and Watchacre Properties)
£8,800 costs.
August 2008, Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service
Defendant:Munro Importers Ltd
Failure to produce a suitable risk assessment;
Fire doors wedged open;
Blocked and obstructed exit routes;
Restricted aisles and gangways; and
Inadequate Fire Safety Training.
Fine - £20,000
£7,312 costs
July 08, London Fire Brigade
Defendant: JJB Sports PLC
Six breaches of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
Fine - £17,400
May 08, London Fire Brigade
Defendant: P.T.F Properties Limited
Failure to maintain a fire alarm;
Failure to maintain a fire door
Two charges of failure to provide a safe means of escape
Fine - £11,000
January 2007, Surrey Fire and Rescue Service
Defendant - Southern Cross Healthcare
Inadequate fire safety standards at one of its care homes. The boiler room was a high fire risk area that should not be used as a store. In addition, the company did not have an adequate system in place for reviewing fire safety arrangements at the home.
Fine - £100,000
Defendant - Graham Sawings, Blackpool based landlord
Charged with multiple fire safety failures, including failure maintain the fire detection and warning system, failure to provide a suitable fire evacuation plan, failure to provide fire-fighting equipment and failure to maintain fire resisting doors.
Fined £36,000 plus £7000 in costs
1st August 2013, Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service
Defendant - Gurpartap Singh Bhullar, Company Director of Bellforce Developments, owners of a Slough based House of Multiple Occupation
Charged with multiple fire safety failures, including failure to conduct a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment, failure to take general life precautions for persons sleeping on the premises, failure to provide adequate means of detection and giving warning in the event of a fire.
Bhullar received a fine of £6,750, and Bellforce Developments received a fine of £13,500. Additionally, they were ordered to pay court costs of £21,732.62 to the fire authority.
20th July 2013, Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service
Defendant - Askar Miah, Southampton based landlord
Pleaded guilty to multiple fire safety failures, including failure to provide means of detection and giving warning in the event of a fire, failure to keep escape routes clear of obstructions and poor structural fire separation.
Fined £36,000, and ordered to pay costs of £3,816
11th July 2013, Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service
Defendant - Derek Sweeney, director of the Travellers Rest at Gransmere in Cumbria
6 fire safety failures, including failure to conduct a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment, failure to provide means of detection and giving warning in the event of a fire, failure to provide adequate means of fighting a fire, failure to provide adequate means of escape from the premises, failure to protect the means of escape from the effects of fire.
Fined a total of £14,420
28th May 2013, Cleveland Fire Service
Defendant - Nicholas Hyde, the owner of multiple flats
5 fire safety failures, including a lack of a working fire alarm system, exposed electrical wires, damaged and scorched sockets and switches, a serious fire risk from large quantities of rubbish inside and outside the building, and a lack of heating - causing residents to use cookers and portable heaters to keep warm.
Fined £18,000 plus £3,082 in costs
17th May 2013, North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service
Defendant - Alan Foster, the owner of multiple flats
Failure to keep the stairwell clear of combustible materials and waste, failure to maintain fire doors, failure to conduct a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment..
Jailed for 12 months
8th May 2013, Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service
Defendant - Mr Mohammed Attique, the ownerof a takeaway restaurant in Blackpool
9 fire safety failures, including, but not limited to, failure to conduct a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment, failure to provide adequate means of detection and giving warning in the event of a fire, failure to provide adequate means of fighting a fire, failure to provide suitable means of escape from the premises, and blocked escape routes.
Fined a total of £9,000 plus £2,607 in court costs
1st May 2013, London Fire Brigade
Defendants - Winsmill Limited, and director Ron Kemeny
Failure to equip the building with appropriate fire detectors, no fire doors on the ground floor, no self-closing doors leading onto the building's escape routes, and failure to provide a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment.
Winsmill Limited - Fined £30,000; Ron Kemeny - 4 month suspended jail sentence (suspended for 12 months)
19th March 2013, Lancashire Fire & Rescue Service
Defendant - D. M. Care, the owner of the Ambassador Care Home in Blackpool
7 fire safety failures, including a failure to provide a suitable means of giving warning in the event of a fire, and failure to keep the escape route clear of combustible materials and ignition source.
Fined £35,000 plus £5,375 in costs
12th March 2013, London Fire Brigade
Defendant - Anthony O'Leary, leaseholder of the former Tavern Inn the Town on Castle Road
Failure to provide a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment, failure to provide any means of giving warning in the event of a fire, inadequate means of escape from the building, breaching a prohibition notice, and failure to provide emergency lighting.
Sentenced to 9 months imprisonment for breaching the prohibition notice, and 6 months for each other offence. All sentences were suspended for 2 years and will run concurrently.
13th December 2012, North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service
Defendant - Jack Wills (Fashion Retailer)
Failure to maintain fire doors, failing to keep the under-stair electrical switch gear room clear of combustible materials, failure to keep the protected stairwell clear of combustible materials, failure to provide the secondary escape route with adequate signage, failure to comply with an enforcement notice.
Fined £27,000 plus £5,619 in costs
10th December 2012, Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service
Defendant - Tahir Ahmed, leaseholder of a building being used as both a commercial shop and a house of multiple occupation
Failure to carry out a fire risk assessment; failure to maintain the fire alarm provided in the premises; failure to maintain the emergency lighting; failure to provide the relevant fire doors in the premises; failure to ensure the means of escape were clear.
Fined £12,000 plus £6,278.50 in costs
3rd December 2012, Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service
Defendant - Martin McColls Ltd.
Failure to review the fire risk assessment; failure to ensure that the outstanding issues identified by the fire risk assessment were put into place; securing the fire exit door with a padlock; failure to maintain fire safety equipment; failure to ensure that the manager of the premises had been adequately trained.
Fined £17,000 plus £3,817.51 in costs
23rd November 2012, Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service
Defendants - Brian Silvester (Willaston ward councillor), Colin Silvester
Multiple charges, including failure to provide a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment; failure to provide an adequate means of giving warning in the event of a fire; failure to provide adequate means of escape from the premises.
Brian Silvester fined £45,000 plus £22,000 in costs
Colin Silvester fined £37,000 plus £22,000 in costs
8th November 2012, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service
Defendant - Mr Waseem Abbas (Leaseholder of Touch Link in Salford)
Failure to provide a suitable escape route from the first and second floors; failure to carry out a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment; failing to provide an adequate means of detecting and raising the alarm in case of fire.
Fined £21,000 plus £5,187 in costs
7th November 2012, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service
Defendant - Mr Javed Waraich (Owner of a Premier convenience store in Manchester)
Failure to carry out a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment; failing to take measures to prevent the spread of fire to upper floors; failing to provide an appropriate means of detecting and raising the alarm in case of fire; failing to provide an adequate escape route from the first and second floors due to an excessive travel distance for a single direction means of escape; failing to provide adequate fire resistance to the escape route; failing to ensure that emergency doors were not locked or fastened so as to be easily openable in an emergency by providing a final exit door that requires the use of a key; failing to provide emergency lighting on the escape route; failure to comply with the requirements of an enforcement notice.
Fined £9,259
2nd August 2012, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service
Defendant - Mr Tahair Mahmood Arif (Owner of an off-license)
Failure to provide an escape route from the living accommodation above his shop; failure to provide a fire alarm system; failure to keep escape routes clear; windows on first floor secured by external metal roller shutters; breach of a prohibition notice issued by the fire and rescue service.
Fined £22,000 plus £4,195 in costs
12th July 2012, East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service
Defendant - Ms Samantha Coull (Owner of Beach Break Café)
Failure to take measures to ensure the premises were safe from fire; failure to provide a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment; failure to provide an appropriate fire alarm system; failure to provide emergency lighting; travel distances exceeding the maximum permitted distance.
Fined £21,000 plus £5,187 in costs
7th June 2012, Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service
Defendant - B&M Bargains
Failure to carry out a suitable and sufficient risk assessment; fire exits and exit routes obstructed; exit route led to locked enclosed area; failure to ensure employees recieved adequate fire safety training; fire doors locked and unable to be used in an emergency.
Fined £27,000 plus over £6,000 in costs
6th June 2012, Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service
Defendant - Asda
Fire exit doors locked and unable to be used in an emergency; exit routes obstructed.
Fined £40,000 plus over £15,000 in costs
6th February 2012, London Fire Brigade
Defendant - The Chumleigh Lodge Hotel Limited
Failure to carry out a suitable and sufficient risk assessment; failure to provide staff with adequate fire sfety training; failure to ensure emergency routes from the premises are kept clear; failure to adequately equip premises with fire detectors; two counts of failure to ensure premises, facilities, equipment or devices are maintained in an efficient state, in working order and in good repair.
Fined £210,000 plus £50,000 in costs
17th January 2012, Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service
Defendant - Buffet City Ltd
Not having a working fire alarm; failing to undertake a fire risk assessment; not providing a fire exit that could be used in an emergency without a key; storing combustibles on the means of escape; no working escape lighting; and failing to plan and have appropriate procedures.
Fined £24,067 in fines and court costs
13th January 2012, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service
Defendant - Delicious Foods Ltd of Liverpool Road, Eccles
Failure to carry out a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment; failure to provide a suitable escape route; and failure to provide a fire alarm or warning system in case of fire.
The upper part of the premises had been used as a sleeping area and for general accommodation purposes. The only escape route from the upper floors was a single staircase which led into the commercial kitchen. There had been no evidence of any system to raise the alarm in case of fire. Nor had there been any any emergency lighting present and the fire extinguishers had not been properly maintained.
Fined £13,000
4th January 2012, Nottingham Fire and Rescue Service
Defendant - Mohammed Munir, Quilt making businessman and former Lord Mayor of Nottingham
Failure to carry out a suitable and sufficient risk assessment, failure to comply with an enforcement order, failure to ensure an effective means of escape from the premises, failure to ensure that exit routes were clear at all times, failure to provide adequate emergency lighting in emergency routes and exits, failure to ensure that non-automatic firefighting equipment provided was easily accessible, simple to use and indicated by signs.
Sentenced to 26 weeks imprisonment suspended for two years
Also ordered to do 180 hours unpaid work and pay £4,000 in costs
29th June 2011
Defendant - Douglad and Gordon Ltd
Failure to install a fire alarm system; failure to ensure electrical intake cupboard remains locked; failure to act upon the significant findings of the fire risk assessment.
Fined £100,000 plus £13,000 in costs
29th June 2011
Defendant - Atomlynn Ltd
pleaded guilty to one offence under the fire safety order
Fined £33,000 plus £6,440 in costs
5th May 2011, Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service
Defendant - O&C Holdsworth Ltd (Owners of the Penhallow Hotel)
Failure to have safety procedures and equpiment in place
Fined £80,000 plus £62,000 costs
21st December 2010, London Fire Brigade
Defendant - Greggs
A number of contraventions including blocked corridors and a fire exit that was shut tight with four padlocks.
Fined £50,000 plus over £20,000 costs
15th November 2010, Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service
Defendant - Event Organiser (Car Boot Fair)
Eight breaches of fire safety regulations including blocked potential fire exits.
6 Months Suspended Sentence.
Fined £24,000 plus £9,000 costs.
Following a review the fine was reduced by 50% because of the candid statements given by the organiser.
9th November 2010, West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service
Defendant - Poundstretcher
Seven breaches of the Fire Safety Order including fire exits obstructed, fire risk assessment not regularly updated and insufficient fire safety training to staff.
Fined £51,500 plus over £3,400 costs
6th October 2010, Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service
Defendant - Hallmark Hotels (The Belfry, Winslow)
Three violations of fire safety regulations including faulty smoke detectors and unsiotable fire exits.
Fined £75,000 (£25,000 per offence) plus £53,000 costs
24th September 2010, London Fire Brigade
Defendant - Ventures Hotel
Blocked emergency exits, wedged open fire doors, unsiotable and insufficient Fire Risk Assessment.
Fined £27,000 (Owner) and £5,000 (Manager)
24th September 2010, London Fire Brigade
Defendant - Owner of a House in Multiple Occupation
Seven breaches including lack of suitable and sufficient Fire Risk Assessment and absence of appropriate fire-fighting equipment.
Fined £16,000 including costs.
20th September 2010, Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service
Defendant - 2nd Stop Pub
Untested fire extinguishers, fire escape routes blocked, fire detection system faulty, no fire evacuation training for staff, inadequate emergency lighting.
Fined £6,565 and £7,123 costs
9th August 2010, North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service
Defendant - China Wok Restaurant, Stokesley
Ten breaches of the Fire Safety Order including a lack of fire alarm and detection system.
Fined £15,000
8th July 2010, London Fire Brigade
Defendant - New Kong Nam Food Production Company
No adequate fire detection, inadequate emergency lighting, no adequate fire safety training, no fire protection to the first floor escape route, no emergency plan and no suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment.
Fined - 14,000
Costs - £6,380
26th April 2010, Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service
Defendant - Cooperative Group
Failing to keep the rear emergency exit doors unlocked for use in an emergency; fitting a lock requiring a security code on an emergency door between the retail and storage areas, which could not be easily opened in an emergency; obstructing a fire alarm and call-point in the storage area - thus potentially delaying fire alarm activation and early warning to building occupants; a lack of suitable and sufficient fire safety instruction and training for the store manager; a fire alarm system that was not regularly tested; having no means of early detection of fire in the retail area and thus not providing early warning to the occupants of the manager’s office for safe evacuation.
Fined £210,000 including £28,000 costs
21st April 2010 - London Fire Brigade
Defendant - Tesco
Failure to review fire risk assessment; failure to keep emergency exit route clear; wedging fire doors open; storing flammable materials under an emergency stairwell.
Fined £95,000
Costs £24,000
25th November 2009, London Fire Brigade
Defendant - New Look Clothes Store
Unsuitable and Insufficient Fire Risk Assessment - fined £250,000
Failure to provide adequate training - fined £150,000
£136,000 costs.
16th October 2009; Devon & Somerset Fire and Rescues Service
Defendant - Michael Scott-Hake (Edwardian in Heavitree Road, Exeter)
Enforcement orders breaches related to:
Sub-standard fire doors
Inadequate smoke detection in some areas.
Fine - £3415
Costs - £4900
17th June 2009, London Fire Brigade
Defendant: Shoalacre Ltd.
Guilty plea to 7 contraventions of RRO
Fine - £25,000 (inc costs)
12th June 2009, London Fire Brigade
Defendant: building’s owners Michael de Havilland and Sally Fox
House converted into bedsits
Sentence - Six Months Imprisonment
£5,000 costs per defendent
2nd June 2009, London Fire Brigade
Defendant - Shell International Ltd
Blocked escape routes and fire exits, defective fire doors,excessive fire loading
Fined - £300,000
£45,000 costs
20th October 2008, London Fire Brigade
Defendant : Parlak and Watchacre Properties
Failure to make a suitable and sufficient Fire Risk Assessment;
Failure to make and give effect to appropriate fire safety arrangements;
Failure to provide appropriate fire fighting equipment;
Failure to provide adequate smoke alarms in the common parts of the premises;
Failure to ensure that routes to emergency exits from the premises and the exits were clear;
Failure to ensure that persons were able to evacuate the premises as quickly and safely as possible, in that the escape route was not properly protected;
Failure to ensure that there was adequate signage at the premises;
Failure to establish and give effect to appropriate procedures to be followed in the event of serious and imminent danger.
Sentence - 4 months imprisonment (Mr Parlak)
Plus Fine - £21,000 (Parlak and Watchacre Properties)
£8,800 costs.
August 2008, Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service
Defendant:Munro Importers Ltd
Failure to produce a suitable risk assessment;
Fire doors wedged open;
Blocked and obstructed exit routes;
Restricted aisles and gangways; and
Inadequate Fire Safety Training.
Fine - £20,000
£7,312 costs
July 08, London Fire Brigade
Defendant: JJB Sports PLC
Six breaches of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
Fine - £17,400
May 08, London Fire Brigade
Defendant: P.T.F Properties Limited
Failure to maintain a fire alarm;
Failure to maintain a fire door
Two charges of failure to provide a safe means of escape
Fine - £11,000
January 2007, Surrey Fire and Rescue Service
Defendant - Southern Cross Healthcare
Inadequate fire safety standards at one of its care homes. The boiler room was a high fire risk area that should not be used as a store. In addition, the company did not have an adequate system in place for reviewing fire safety arrangements at the home.
Fine - £100,000