Electric Fire in a London Purpose Built Block of Flats believed to be caused by an Electrical fault.

London Fire Brigade reported on their incident page that Four fire engines and 21 firefighters and officers were called to a fire at a block of flats in Ross Road, Wallington.

Part of a flat on the second floor of the four-storey building was damaged by the fire. The fire is believed to have been caused by an electrical fault within a consumer unit. To read more click here.

London Fire Risk Assessments advice to customers: Fire Safety Protection starts with a Fire Risk Assessment for your Block of Flats – every Block must have one it is required by the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. The first part of the Fire Safety Risk Assessment process is a Fire Safety Inspection/Audit and it is at this stage that the Assessor, amongst many other formalities, checks that there is a current 5 year periodical test: BS 7671 in place. To read more click here. 

The Assessor will identify any anomalies within the premise and will record the findings in the Fire Safety Management Plan - Significant Findings of the report this will then be handed to your Property Management Company to action on. 

Also included in the Fire Risk Assessment will be a Fire Emergency Plan for your London premise. It is of paramount importance that all Residents know the plan to be able to react swiftly in times of Emergency. If you haven’t seen the Fire Safety Emergency Plan ask your Management Company for a copy. Remember a Fire moves fast and so must you and your family. 

For further advice on any aspects of Fire Safety Protection call our friendly team on 01689 890879 or click here to email

London Flat Fire – Dog Saves The Lives Of Elder Couple That Didn’t Have A Working Smoke Alarm!

London Fire Brigade reported on their incident page, that a neighbour’s dog saved the life of an elderly couple after alerting its owner to a fire in a neighbouring flat, which had no working smoke alarms.

A flat on the second floor and the roof of the building were completely damaged by fire, and another flat on the second floor was left un-inhabitable.

A downstairs neighbour raised the alarm after being woken by her pet Chihuahua, who would not stop barking!

The Station manager who was at the scene, said: “Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus rescued an elderly man and woman from the flat and they were both taken to hospital by London Ambulance Service crews. Around 50 residents from the block were evacuated as a precaution.” The flat, where the fire started is not believed to have been fitted with a working smoke alarm. To read more click here. 

London Fire Risk Assessments advice to clients: 

Every purpose built block of flats must have a FireRisk Assessment for the communal areas – it’s the law! (RegulatoryReform (Fire Safety Order) 2005). The Fire Safety Risk Assessment includes a Fire Safety Protection Inspection Service, once this is carried out it will identify any deficiencies within the common parts of the property and should identify what is needed to stop a fire spreading from one area of the premise to another. Ask your Managing agent or Landlord if you haven’t seen the Fire Risk Assessment for your London Block of Flats!

However, it is the Residents responsibility to install Smoke Detection in their Flats. There are many companies offering Fire Protection Services in London who can help you. Just make sure they are qualified to do the job especially if you are sub letting!!! The London Fire Brigade’s website will help you identify where you need to install your Smoke Detectors in your flat - clickhere for more information.

The best place to go to find a qualified London Fire Risk Assessor is the Institution of Fire Engineers – they have a register of Assessors in your area. They are all qualified and your will be in safe hands!  

London Fire Risk Assessments is a member of the Institution of Fire Engineers and are completely independent of any Fire Safety Equipment supplier we are happy to give you unbiased advice on all Fire Safety Protection Services  - Call us now on 01689 890879 we have a team of friendly advisors who will assist you with your enquiry.

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.