Kitchen Fire in Student Accommodation Whitechapel London.

London Landlords of Houses in Multiple Occupancy - are all your Fire Safety Protection measures in place?

The London Fire Brigade reported on their incident page that Four fire engines and 21 firefighters and officers were called to a kitchen fire in offices and student accommodation on Old Montague Street in White chapel.

A communal kitchen on the third floor of the building was damaged by the blaze. Around 80 people left the property before firefighters arrived and thankfully nobody was injured. To read more click here.

London Fire Risk Assessments advice to customers:

London Houses in Multiple Occupancy and Student House Share are at a higher risk of having a Fire mainly due to the number of individuals sharing the facilities.

It is extremely important that Landlords have a suitable and sufficient Fire Safety Risk Assessment for their HMO. As part of the Risk Assessment process the Fire Safety Inspection will note any deficiencies in the premise and identify any additional Fire Safety Protection measure required.

Student should always ask before moving into their London accommodation to witness the Fire Safety Risk Assessment. If there isn’t one then it will show that the Landlord is not fulfilling his lawful duty and highlight that the level of management of the premise is not very good.

Landlord’s if you require a Fire Safety Inspection for your London premise, or you require your existing Fire Risk Assessment to be audited and reviewed contact us on 01689 890879 or 
click here

White Goods Cause Fire a Day in London: Fire Risk Assessment Suggested

Earlier this year, the London Fire Brigade released figures showing nearly one Fire a day in the capital involves white goods such as dishwashers, washing machines, tumble dryers and freezers.

Recently a Beautician in Harrow had a lucky escape when a tumble dryer in their salon on Kenton Road set on Fire. A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said: "Thankfully the smoke alarm alerted people in the shop to this particular Fire and everyone got out safely.”

There are many Companies offering Fire Protection Services in London – but who can provide you with a ‘suitable and sufficient’ Fire Risk Assessment that will satisfy the London Fire Brigade and Insurance Companies if something goes wrong???

Many Clients use search engines and appoint a company that provide the cheapest quote, not really understanding the importance of a Fire Risk Assessment. The cheapest is not always the most cost effective – For example, if the scenario above happened and the Fire Brigade were called they would want to witness the Fire Risk Assessment for the premise – if the report was a basic tick box check list with limited information and didn’t meet the requirements of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 you will probably be issued a Notice of Deficiencies. The ‘Notice’ would then require you to appoint a 3^rd Party Competent Person to carry out a ‘suitable and sufficient’ Fire Risk Assessment – resulting in additional cost!

The Institution of Fire Engineers is a trustworthy, independent body that has a list of qualified Risk Assessors who can carry out a ‘suitable and sufficient’ Fire Risk Assessment. The Assessment is an important document, which will help to keep you and your premise safe from Fire – included in the document will be a Fire Emergency Plan London   telling you what to do if something when wrong.

London Fire Risk Assessments advice to customers: Don’t take a chance invest in a quality, it can actually save you money. If you use an independent Risk Assessment Company you can be sure that they will identify things like how many Fire Extinguishers you actually need and what Fire Alarm system your premise requires. For a free quotation or friendly advice call us now on 01689 890879.

Businessman Convicted for Lack of Fire Risk Assessment For a Property

A Businessman was convicted and fined £1,000 for five breaches of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. He was also ordered to pay £5,000 costs plus a victim surcharge of £52, totaling £6,052.

The Businessman rented the property from its owner and went on to sublet it to four individual tenants, without addressing the necessary Fire Safety improvements required by law for a House in Multiple Occupation.

Fire Inspectors visited the property following a complaint concerning the lack of Fire Safety precautions. The inspectors identified several breaches including:

• Apparent lack of a Fire Risk Assessment for the Building
• Inadequate Fire detection and alarm system – several smoke alarms were found in a kitchen drawer!
• The bedroom doors were inadequate and there were no provisions for self-closing devices.
• No window escape from the First Floor
• No portable Firefighting equipment was provided
• Inadequate testing and maintenance of the Fire alarm system and Emergency lighting.

The Businessman ignored an Enforcement Notice, which resulted in legal proceedings.

The Fire and Rescue Service stated “Landlords should recognise that they have a legal responsibility to ensure that any facilities they provide for their tenants have a suitable and sufficient Fire Risk Assessment in place and that it is reviewed regularly… The public should continue to be reassured that legal action will be used when necessary where serious breaches of Fire Safety regulations are identified.”

London Fire Risk Assessments advice to customers: If you are a Landlord it is your responsibility to carry out a Fire Risk Assessment for your Building. If you haven’t got one  - get one or you could be making a very costly mistake.

Tenants – if the Fire Risk Assessment is not on site ask to see it before you sign your contract – there should be a Fire Emergency Plan in London displayed too. It’s your Landlords responsibility to keep you safe from the effects of Fire. If you are unsure and need some advice call us now on 01689 890879 we have a friendly team waiting to help.

If Your Fire Risk Assessment Says "Reduce Your Fire Loading" Then Act Instantly

London Fire Brigade reported on their incident page a ‘Fire in a 20 Storey Block of Flats in Peckham’.

Four fire engines, 21 firefighters and officers dealt with a fire in a block of flats on Wyndham Road in Peckham. A storeroom on the ground floor of the 20 storey block of flats was badly damaged by the blaze.

Two men left the property before the Brigade arrived. They were both suffering from burns and taken to hospital by London Ambulance Service crews. Around 40 residents were evacuated from the block.

The Fire is still under investigation click here to read more.

London Fire Risk Assessments advice to customers: London Property Management Agents/Companies should have a current fire safety risk assessment for their Blocks of Flats. An in-depth fire safety inspection and audit should be carried out and any deficiencies identified should be actioned upon. 

One of the most common deficiencies is Fire loading and in our experience it is this that causes the most contention with Residents.

      (a)Why should we remove the BBQ cylinder from our car parking space

 (b) Why should we remove the petrol canister or 3litre container of oil? 

 (c)Why should we remove all the items stored outside our Front door we don’t want it in the Flat they take up too much room!

  (d)Why can’t we store our Bikes and scooters in the common corridors they aren’t hurting anybody - and so it goes on!

Ignition sources and obstructions in the common areas just make the Risk Factor for the premise higher. Residents should witness a copy of the Fire Risk Assessment for the Building and then hopefully they will take onboard that it is everyone’s responsibility to keep the premise as safe as possible from Fire. If you need a Fire Risk Assessment for your London Block of Flats call us now on 01689 890879.