Fire Safety

The popular high street bakery chain Greggs has been ordered to pay over £70,000 for fire safety breaches after it blocked corridors and locked fire exits with four padlocks.

London Fire Brigade (LFB) Inspectors discovered the issues whilst carrying out an audit at one of the company’s London stores in November 2008.

Greggs — which operates more than 1400 UK outlets — had partially blocked corridors at the shop with plastic crates, posing not only a tripping hazard, but a fire hazard as well. A security door at the other side of a fire exit fastened shut with four padlocks was also locked.

LFB sent the company a Notice of Deficiencies in January 2009 stressing the need for an emergency plan, appropriate staff training, and a risk assessment review.

On 13 December, the judge at Isleworth Crown Court fined Greggs £50,000 and ordered it to pay £20,326 costs after it admitted two offences under the Fire Safety Order.