Prosecutions

The director was fined £500 for 11 contraventions of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. The case was held late June 2009 at the Inner London Crown Court.  The London Fire Brigade which brought the prosecution against the company set the low level of the fine as a result of the company going into administration, and the defendant’s financial position.

A fire safety inspection was carried out in July 2007 at the company’s headquarters in South London. The inspecting officer found a number of fire safety contraventions; these included no emergency procedures, excessive storage in the escape routes and no appropriate fire safety training for staff. An enforcement notice was served and the director was instructed to act upon its findings.

A follow up inspection took place in December 2007 which discovered that the enforcement notice had not been complied with.

The chairman of the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority, Brian Coleman said: “This is an unusual case, in that the company was going into administration, meaning it was not in the public interest to prosecute the company. However, where the evidence exists, we will prosecute individuals who are responsible for fire safety and do not take these responsibilities seriously.”

Landlords, business owners and employers must remember that fire safety is a key part of running any business. You need to be aware of the regulations and undertake a fire safety risk assessment, which is now mandatory.