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Alan Cox - First for Fire & Safety
Online advisor - 56 posts
I always find it quite sad when incidents like this happen to parts of our national heritage and the subsequent investigation finds a catalogue of failings that were apparently not picked up or actioned by those persons responsible. It’s even worse because we then have to launch an appeal to get the money to rectify the damage.
This well prepared and presented report makes interesting reading and unfortunately reflects, all too often, what I find when I find when I visit premises. Just like this case I find that very often all the paperwork is in place, sometimes too much, but then no one then bothers to do what the paperwork states. I recently stayed in a hotel in Somerset that was part of a well known chain of entertainment hotels and the general level of fire precautions and safety was appalling and so I wrote to the Managing Director with pictures of:
• Numerous fire doors “wedged open” and defective.
• Poor housekeeping and numerous potential fire sources.
• Numerous broken “finger trap guards”.
• Staff smoking area adjacent to an LPG fill pipe (Liquefied Petroleum Gas)
• Light diffusers not securely attached to light fitting.
• Poorly indicated Emergency Exits in the main function room.
• Fire alarm system showing FAULT & DISABLE
• Fire exit routes leading to an enclosed yard with no obvious way out.
I had a reply from the Head of Safety Services that stated “I was extremely disappointed to see the photographs that you took during your recent stay at .......... The photographs indicate practices that are wholly unacceptable and fall outside our required standards in terms of basic fire safety management. I can express further disappointment as some of the items in your letter were highlighted by our independent fire safety consultant......” He then goes on to say “In respect of your belief that our company does not take these matters seriously – I have to disagree completely”. As this is the second of this chain of hotels that I have stayed in and the first one had similar problems, although not as serious, I have to say I also disagree completely.
I have now notified the Fire Authority and await their comments.
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Ian Walford
Member - 24 posts
I have always found the same to be true wherever I've stayed. All the signs and forms filled in but obviously nothing is actually followed up.
I'd be interested to know whether there are still unsealed and damaged asbestos fire insulation panels on the bedroom doors of a Exeter branch of a well known chain of hotels. I left two minutes after I arrived.
Perhaps I'll drop the HSE a line, I never received a response from their management.
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Asiya Seedat
Member - 1 post
Could someone please advise me if it is legal to have your fire exit as the main door to your premises, as within my salon there is no alternative route due to the back been enclosed and no gates, way out.
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Mike Kane
Member - 26 posts
Hello Asiya,
There are many workplaces with only 1 entrance/exit door.
The main factors to consider are the size of the premises and the use it is put to.
If the workplace is "low risk" the accepted distances to be travelled from the furthest point of the premises to the exit door can be up to 18 metres in a straight line, or 12 metres if there are obstacles to negotiate (desks / chairs/ machinery etc). Dependent upon the actual risks within the workplace this distance may either be reduced or increased accordingly
A fire risk assessment should be undertaken to determine if conditions are acceptable or not.
Mike Kane
Fire UK Ltd
fireuk@msn.com
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