The owner of a Finchley restaurant was arrested as he tried to leave the
country on holiday, after ‘persistently failing to address Fire Safety
failings.’
London Fire Brigade noted that the leaseholder of the Restaurant was
prosecuted after a series of failures from 2011 onwards. That year, Fire Safety
Officers fro the London Fire Brigade visited the restaurant after a kitchen
Fire, finding a number of serious failings including a defective Fire Alarm,
wedged open or poorly fitted Fire Doors and inadequate escape routes.
After follow up visits, Officers found that none of the Fire Safety
failings identified had been addressed; an Enforcement Notice was issued requiring
the necessary works to be completed within a month. In July 2012, Inspectors
received information that people were sleeping on the premise. They visited
again and found that the same Fire Safety deficiencies remained unaddressed
while a ground floor exit was blocked by an electricity generator.
At this point, the Officers decided the issues were serious enough that
they presented a serious risk to life in the event of a Fire, with a
Prohibition Notice issued for residential use of the premises. Legal action began
last year against the Owner and initially he failed to attend court, with a
warrant issued. He remained at large
until his arrest at an airport this year as he set off for a short break.
He pleaded guilty to six Fire Safety offences and was handed a six moth
suspended prison sentence, as well as being ordered to complete 80 hours of
community service, in addition to paying £10,000 in prosecution costs. The
offences he pleaded guilty to included failures to:
·
Have a Fire Risk Assessment Completed
·
Have a suitable Fire Alarm
·
Ensure Emergency exits were clear
·
Ensure a protected Fire Escape
·
Have Fire Doors installed
·
Maintain Fire Safety Equipment
·
Comply with the Enforcement Notice.
The Assistant Commissioner for Fire Safety at London Fire Brigade,
commented “The Owner persistent refusal to address the concerns of our Fire
Safety Officer meant that the restaurant and floors above it were nothing short
of a ‘death trap’ putting the lives of all those working and sleeping there at
risk if ever a Fire had broken out.”
“This is the First case we have prosecuted where the issuing of a warrant
has resulted in the defendant being arrested and it should send a strong
message that where we find business owners not taking their Fire Safety
responsibilities seriously, we will do all we can to ensure they are brought to
book and prosecuted”.
With the delivery of such a strong message from the London Fire Brigade
all London Restaurants should take their Fire Safety responsibilities
seriously. The first thing to check – is there a current Fire
Safety Assessment in place. If not then one of the best places to search
for a ‘Qualified’ Assessor is the Institution of Fire Engineers – they have a
Risk Assessors Register on their website. All you need to do is put in your
postcode and a list of ‘Qualified’ Assessors will come up in your area.
Once you have appointed a Fire Safety Risk Assessor they will carry out a
thorough Inspection/Audit of the premise. They will identify any deficiencies
and outline them in the Fire Safety Risk Assessment.
London Fire Risk Assessments are an independent
Fire Risk Consultancy based in London and their core business is Fire Safety Risk Assessments.
If you have any Fire Safety concerns or need to book a Fire Safety Inspection
and Audit then call them now on 01689
890879 or click here for a free quotation.
