Scottish Fire Safety

noreply@blogger.com (fireisk.co.uk) — Thu, 17 May 2012 09:20:16 PDT

Single Scottish fire service will be good for business, says FIA

Businesses in Scotland will benefit from the creation of a single fire service in the country, according to the Fire Industry Association ( FIA ).

From April 2013, the eight regional fire and rescue services in Scotland will be merged into a single body.

The move has been welcomed by Graham Ellicott, chief executive of the FIA , who expects that the creation of a single set of policies will deliver cost savings for those in the fire industry and local companies.

"One attendance policy for automatic fire alarms will mean that businesses can standardise the relevant fire training for their staff across all of Scotland," he said.

"In contrast, in England the disparate postcode lottery approach of the English brigades is imposing a real cost burden on business as each fire and rescue service has its own set of policies with little or no co-ordination even between geographically adjacent organisations."

Justice secretary Kenny MacAskill has estimated that the single service will deliver savings of £1.7 billion over 15 years.

noreply@blogger.com (fireisk.co.uk) — Thu, 17 May 2012 09:22:30 PDT

English Fire Minister announces ruling on hotel bedroom door case

From @fireindustry

A follow on for previous post regarding this issue. It appears that FRA's are required to be undertaken until one agrees with the Fire Authority.

11 May 2012 Remember the links are for Legislation in England & Wales only.

Fire minister Bob Neil has called on the responsible person of a hotel to carry out a new fire risk assessment in order to resolve a dispute over how to improve fire safety standards.

The enforcing authority and responsible person at an unnamed hotel were at odds of whether to fit intumescent strips and smoke seals on 167 bedroom doors.

The dispute revolves around the requirement of article 9 of the Fire Safety Order, which calls for the responsible person to make a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks from fire and to record the measures which will be taken.

While the enforcing authority called for the installation of the strips and seals to help reduce risk of injury or death in a fire, the responsible person claimed that a new fire risk assessment will be sufficient as long as the lack of these measures was recorded.

Following advice from the chief fire and rescue adviser, Mr Neil determined that the most appropriate way to comply with article 9 is for the responsible person to prepare a new risk assessment and justify the absence of intumescent strips and smoke seals.

His ruling, based on article 36 of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, claimed that the measures are unjustified due to their expense and minimal potential safety improvements.

noreply@blogger.com (fireisk.co.uk) — Thu, 17 May 2012 09:12:34 PDT

Unaccredited fire safety contractor sentenced for NHS fraud

From @fireindustry

10 May 2012

The director of a fire safety company who falsely claimed it was accredited in bids for valuable NHS contracts has been sentenced for fraud.

Julian Price, director of Cotswold Fire Group (CFG), received a 40 week suspended prison sentence and a 150 hour community service order for committing two counts of Fraud by False Representation, contrary to section 2 of the Fraud Act 2006.

Appearing at Gloucester Crown Court on 4th May, Mr Price was awarded costs of £1,500 following an investigation by NHS Protect.

In February 2008, Mr Price submitted unsuccessful bids for two contracts worth £290,000 over five years with the Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust for the maintenance of fire alarms and emergency lighting.

Mr Price falsely claimed to be accredited by the Electrical Contractors' Association and the Security System Alarms Inspection Board in his attempt to win the contracts.

Mick Hayes, anti-fraud lead at NHS Protect, claimed the incident is "very serious" as the NHS and public expect "total integrity" from contractors.

He said: "These standards and systems exist with good reason. Fraud is a crime and NHS Protect will examine all allegations of fraud against the NHS and wherever appropriate, will launch a criminal investigation and press for the strongest sanctions."

noreply@blogger.com (fireisk.co.uk) — Fri, 11 May 2012 06:23:43 PDT

Common sense, logic and Fire Safety principles win the day over Benchmark Standards being used prescriptively.

A chance to download the Determination on the suitability and sufficiency of a fire risk assessment in a hotel in respect of the adequacy of the existing bedroom fire doors.

Go here: http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/fire/firedoors

Lenovo recall computers due to fire risk

noreply@blogger.com (fireisk.co.uk) — Fri, 11 May 2012 05:24:58 PDT

Lenovo recall computers due to fire risk 10 May 2012

Computer manufacturer Lenovo has recalled nearly 200,000 computers after a fire risk in the power source was identified.
The M70Z and M90Z all-in-one ThinkCentre PC’s sold between May 2010 and March 2012 were voluntarily recalled by Lenovo following reports of two incidents involving the computer.
One of the incidents resulted in a fire, while the other was only a smoke incident.

A recall was already made for 160,000 computers in March, but this has been expanded to 188,000.
In a statement on their website, the manufacturer said ‘Lenovo has determined that due to a failure of the power supply in the affected all-in-one PCs, the system can overheat and pose a fire hazard. Lenovo has received two customer reports of fire that resulted in damage to the PC.

‘Lenovo recommends that you should immediately stop using the affected desktop PC, and unplug the power cord. Only certain of the ThinkCentre M90z and M70z PCs sold in this timeframe are affected, and all of the affected systems can be identified by machine type and serial number.

‘Effective immediately, Lenovo is offering free power-supply replacements for all affected ThinkCentre M90z and ThinkCentre M70z all-in-one desktop PCs.’
Customers who might be affected by the recall are advised to visit www.lenovo.com/aiopsurecall.

From Info4Fire 10th May 2012

Single Scottish fire service will be good for business, says FIA

noreply@blogger.com (fireisk.co.uk) — Thu, 10 May 2012 09:17:50 PDT

Single Scottish fire service will be good for business, says FIA

10 May 2012

noreply@blogger.com (fireisk.co.uk) — Thu, 10 May 2012 04:46:51 PDT

Improving fire safety with effective Fire Escape Plans

Fire Escape Plans

If there is a fire in your workplace, would you know where the fire extinguishers are?

Can you locate the safest route to a fire exit quickly, and do you know where to meet your colleagues after exiting the building?

Whilst all companies should organise regular fire evacuation drills, these normally follow a calm, orderly exit of the building using the persons most familiar route into and out of the building. During a real fire, people in a burning building are likely to be under significant psychological and even physical stress.

A successful evacuation is partly dependent on physical values such as the means of escape and partly on psychological values, such as communication processes, understanding, evaluation and decision. A disorganised evacuation may result in confusion, increased evacuation times, injury and potentially loss of life.

To help reduce confusion in these situations, a properly designed fire escape plan should be drawn up and displayed in prominent locations around the building. This not only provides key information in time of an emergency, but also acts as an excellent pre event training aid, helping members of staff and visitors to become familiar with equipment locations and all available fire exits.

Whilst the concept of fire escape plan design is simple to understand, there are several key points that need to be included to ensure the success of any escape plan. These include:

You Are Here

An evacuation map must contain an accurate diagram of corridors, rooms, exits and the location of fire and evacuation equipment within the building. The readers's location must be clearly marked so employees can quickly know where they are in the building and easily identify the route to the closest fire exit or fire fighting equipment.

Secondary Exit Routes

An evacuation map must display one primary exit route and at least one alternate route. Wheelchair accessible exits can also be clearly marked on the floor plan.

Stairs and Elevators

Evacuation maps of multi-story buildings should indicate the location of stairwells and elevators. Stairwells that lead to fire exits should be clearly marked as such. However, evacuation routes should designate stairs as exits during an emergency, whereas elevators are clearly marked as not for use during an emergency.

Safe Refuge

Areas of safety for mobility impaired personnel and guests are becoming more common place, as are Evacuation Chairs. Employers are introducing safe areas, and evacuation equipment, but their location is not always well communicated. Clearly identifying these points on the escape plan will help to reduce the time taken to locate and reach safe refuge areas, and support your Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEP).

Assembly Area

An area away from the building should be designated for employees to meet after evacuating in order to account for all employees. The area should be large enough to accommodate all employees and should be clearly marked on the emergency evacuation map together with the assembly points location in relation to the building. Where practical, external references such as road names should be provided.

Ultimately, the ability to quickly identify the safest, quickest escape route is critical to ensuring safe egress from the building.

From Silver Bear.

noreply@blogger.com (fireisk.co.uk) — Wed, 09 May 2012 05:28:40 PDT

19 killed 1,200 people injured in workplace fires.

See bottom paragraph for Good news

Shocking figures show that during 2010-2011 19 people in the UK died in workplace fires, sparking St John Ambulance to call for businesses to wise up when it comes to fire safety.

Best known for providing first aid training, the charity offers fire marshal courses for businesses across Wiltshire and has set up an online calculator to enable employers to assess how many trained fire marshals they need on their premises to protect their staff and property.

Pam Harris, a Fire Marshal trainer for St John Ambulance, said: "At St John Ambulance we are all about preventing unnecessary deaths and while we regularly do this by equipping people with life saving first aid skills, we also want to guard against loss of life by educating people in how to avoid fires occurring.

"Nineteen deaths a year as a result of workplace fires is 19 too many and it’s sad to think that lives are being lost potentially due to a lack of planning."

"The average cost to a business that experiences a fire is £50,000, which alone is a terrifying thought, but there’s really no price you can put on a life.

"Our message to employers is that we’re here to help you assess your needs and train up your team to meet them."

Statistics taken from the Government’s communities website also show that in addition to the 19 fire related deaths in workplaces between 2010 and 2011, a further 1,200 people were injured as a result of fires at work, which is an increase of three per cent compared to 2008-2009.

The good news is that Fire Isk Assessments & Training Ltd will soon be able to offer on- line Fire Safety for Staff. This will help Employers with having less downtime for employees attending Courses.

Licences can be bought for as little as £12 + vat. Keep looking for imminent news on our website at: www.fireisk.co.uk

"Structural safety in high rise buildings’ Lem Kerks famous at last.

noreply@blogger.com (fireisk.co.uk) — Wed, 09 May 2012 04:23:32 PDT

The Passive Fire Protection Federation (PFPF) has announced its support for a research project that aims to study ‘Structural safety in high rise buildings’. The project, awarded under the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust’s 2012 Travelling Fellowship scheme, will take researcher Lem Kerks to North America in September/October this year.

The project will concentrate on structural passive fire protection features, wind and earthquake design, and mitigation of explosion and blast incidents in high rise buildings. It will also investigate structural issues related to fire service work, including means of escape and fire fighting access and facilities in high rise buildings. This aspect of the project comes at a fortuitous time, since UK fire services are currently reviewing their methods and procedures for emergency incidents involving tall buildings.

Specific research interests include investigating: steel-framed building configurations, and the fire protection arrangements for the steelwork; the extent of protection provided in North America for externally-glazed curtain walling systems which may be subjected to blast waves; and general passive fire protection arrangements for building elements related to routes which form means of escape.

Mr Kerks has chosen six centres to visit in North America. These include New York, Chicago, Toronto, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Oklahoma, with the visit to each centre taking approximately one week. Mr Kerks also plans to visit a range of UK passive fire protection manufacturers prior to September.

“I am happy to include any research gathering related to this project which members of the PFPF request. I am particularly interested in expanding my contact base with passive fire protection manufacturers operating in the above North American cities. Any support that PFPF members can give in this regard would be much appreciated,” he said.

Mr Kerks has been involved with fire training for 25 years and is currently senior lecturer in fire safety studies at the Fire Service College in Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire. He has long been a supporter of the passive fire protection sector and worked with members of the Association of Specialist Fire Protection (ASFP) and the College to develop passive fire protection exhibits in the building studies room at the College, some years ago. This facility, still used today, has been seen by most Fire Safety Officers from the UK who have undertaken studies there.

Each year, Travelling Fellowships are awarded to British citizens by the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust, in memory of Sir Winston Churchill. Their aim is to bring back knowledge and experience from overseas travel for the benefit of UK professions and communities. Support of Mr Kerk’s application was jointly undertaken by the Fire Service College and the PFPF.

noreply@blogger.com (fireisk.co.uk) — Wed, 09 May 2012 04:16:47 PDT

Pub staff say thank you with big cheque

From MK News.

The Swan Inn in Milton Keynes Village, which suffered a serious fire on December 7 last year, has presented £2,407.89 to The Fire Fighters Charity.
The money was raised at a ball held in February this year in honour of the firefighters who prevented the blaze from destroying the historic pub and restaurant.
The cheque was handed over on Friday to firefighters at nearby Broughton Fire Station, who were the first to arrive after the fire broke out, by manager Tyrone Bentham and assistant manager Matt Jackson.
At its peak, there were more than 40 firefighters and officers at the scene of the fire. Crews from Bletchley, Great Holm, Newport Pagnell, Buckingham, Aylesbury and Princes Risborough also attended.
All the customers and staff were able to leave the building safely after the fire broke out, and firefighters managed to prevent the fire from spreading to the single-storey restaurant extension.
Firefighter Richard Allman from Broughton Fire Station said: “We would like to say thank-you to the Swan Inn for arranging the ball and for being so generous.”
The Fire Fighters Charity is a national charity which provides assistance to serving and retired fire and rescue service staff, their families and dependants

noreply@blogger.com (fireisk.co.uk) — Wed, 09 May 2012 03:55:39 PDT

Should stupid people be paid as much as they currently earn?

From Mirror Group:

Exclusive photo: Mario Balotelli's flame thrower stunt with aerosol can in hotel

Our incredible snap was taken in a luxury hotel suite which the Italian moved into after setting fire to his £3million rented mansion

Wildman footballer Mario Balotelli turns an aerosol can into a flame-thrower... just months after his house was almost burned down by fireworks.
The Manchester City forward mugs for the camera as he sprays flammable deodorant on to a lighter.
Our incredible snap was taken in a luxury hotel suite which the Italian moved into after setting fire to his £3million rented mansion.
A spokesman for the Fire Industry Association said: “What he is doing is very stupid. The flame could travel back down into the can, causing it to explode.”
Balotelli, 21, hit the headlines in October when firefighters were called to his house. He escaped unharmed, but the fire caused £400,000 of damage.
Balotelli denied he had started it, but later admitted to club officials that he and his friends had been letting off rockets from an upstairs window at the Cheshire house.
He later posed with a firework safety poster, saying: “It was a really stupid thing to do. Someone could have been hurt.”
But our aerosol picture was taken just four months later in the Manchester Hilton.
Since moving to Man City last summer Balotelli has scored 19 goals, but has been sent off four times. He also wrote off a £120,000 Audi.
A source said: “Mario needs to think before he acts.”

noreply@blogger.com (fireisk.co.uk) — Fri, 04 May 2012 05:04:21 PDT

Remember that a Fiisk Assessment must be carried out by a Competent person under The Fire (Scotland) Act 2005

Halbeath's 19th-century Hotel Roma building gutted by fire

More than 20 firefighters from across Fife were drafted to tackle a huge blaze which broke out at an empty restaurant in Halbeath on Thursday night.

Published in the Courier : 04.05.12
Published online : 04.05.12 @ 08.39am

Hotel Roma was said to be ''well alight'' when two fire engines arrived on the scene at around 8pm, so another two engines were scrambled from Lochgelly before an aerial ladder platform was sent from Kirkcaldy.
Dozens of police were sent in to cordon off Main Street as crowds gathered to watch the drama unfold.
Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus trained four jets of water at the derelict building, but they were ordered not to go in after the structure was deemed unsafe.
Station manager at Dunfermline Dave Wishart, who was leading efforts to put out the flames, said: ''I knew right away we couldn't commit firefighters to enter the premises due to the state of the building so we've had to tackle the fire from the outside.

''There would have been a huge danger of firefighters falling through the floor if they'd gone in.''
The alarm was raised at 7.45pm by Armando Brandi, owner of the chip shop across the road. He saw smoke pouring from the windows of the building.
His son, Carmine, said: ''There was a lot of black smoke. You could see that it was a bad fire.''

Daniel Cross, who lives in the cottage next door to the building, arrived at the scene to find he had no access to his home.
''When I arrived back from work the road was closed. I could see the smoke coming from Hotel Roma.
''I was worried it would spread to my house but they won't let me anywhere near it to see what's happening. I don't know whether I'll get home tonight.''

Neighbour Linda Durret said: ''I thought it was the chip shop at first but when I came out it was obvious that there was a big fire at Hotel Roma.
''It's a shame really, because it's a listed building. It was built in 1891. It's really quite sad to see it burn down.''
An investtigation into the cause of the blaze is under way.

Remember that a Fiisk Assessment must be carried out by a Competent person under The Fire (Scotland) Act 2005

noreply@blogger.com (fireisk.co.uk) — Thu, 03 May 2012 08:39:46 PDT

Border terrier Molly who survived serious fire allowed home from vets

Molly: Terrier survived six hours in a burning building.

Molly was rescued by firefighters following a blaze at Dundee’s Garland Place last Wednesday.
She survived despite being stuck inside the blazing building.
Her owner Alan Thompson had tried to rescue her and his other border terrier Mac but they had both scampered as they were scared when his window was broken to allow him out and down a ladder.
He had tried to rescue the dogs but was hindered by thick smoke.
Mac did not survive the blaze.
Molly had been kept at Parkside Veterinary Group since the fire but has now been allowed home.
Mr Thompson said Molly was doing well and he was keeping an eye on her to make sure she does not do too much and get exhausted.
Fifteen people residents had to be taken out of the blaze and two people were taken to hospital. A firefighter was also injured in the incident.
At the time firefighters described it as “quite incredible” that Molly had survived.

Tough wee cookies are Border Terriers

noreply@blogger.com (fireisk.co.uk) — Wed, 02 May 2012 04:05:18 PDT

Cornwall seafront hotel destroyed in blaze

From FIA

01 May 2012

A seafront hotel in Cornwall has been destroyed by a severe fire which tore through the premises yesterday (30th April).
Around 30 guests had to be evacuated from the Falmouth Beach Hotel, at Gyllyngvase in Falmouth, after the alarm was raised at around 12pm.
Three of the guests are still unaccounted for but police claimed it is likely they are on day trips and did not come to any harm.
At the height of the blaze, more than 100 firefighters were battling the flames at the 120-bedroom hotel.
The crews were hampered in their efforts by strong winds which helped spread the flames from the third-floor of the building to the roof.
The fire was eventually brought under control at approximately 7pm, with crews remaining at the site throughout the night to dampen down hot spots.
Blur guitarist Graham Coxon was among the guests at the hotel, with the star scheduled to perform at the town's Princess Pavilion.

noreply@blogger.com (fireisk.co.uk) — Wed, 02 May 2012 04:01:38 PDT

Family rescued from fire-hit East Sussex pub

From FIA

27 Apr 2012

A family had to be recued from the roof of a pub in East Sussex after a fire broke out in a tumble drier.

Three crews from East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service were called to the Royal Oak Inn, in Pett, near Hastings, at around 2.50am on Thursday morning (26th April).

Two adults and a child were asleep in the building at the time of incident and quickly headed to the roof after hearing the smoke alarm sounding.

A spokeswoman for East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service told The Argus: "It was only a small fire in the tumble drier but three people had to be rescued from the roof.

"There was a lot of smoke in the building below so they couldn't get down so they climbed onto the roof."

Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, a 'suitable and sufficient' fire risk assessment must be conducted on all commercial properties in England and Wales. In Scotland the Legislation is The Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 where a writtenFire Risk Assessment is required when there are 5 or more employees.
If the fire risk assessment is deemed to be carried out to an insufficient extent, the Duty Holder can face an unlimited fine or a prison sentence of up to two years.

noreply@blogger.com (fireisk.co.uk) — Wed, 02 May 2012 03:57:11 PDT

Fire safety standards could be included in proposed 'landlord charter'

From FIA

01 May 2012

Fire safety standards could be included in a proposed charter of requirements for landlords and tenants in the private rented housing sector, it has been announced.
Speaking in the House of Commons, Liberal Democrat Adrian Sanders, MP for Torbay, proposed creating a document which would include rules governing anti-social behaviour as well as legal fire safety standards.
In a question to communities minister Grant Shapps, he said: "One way of reducing the regulatory burden on landlords but also improving the safety and security for tenants, would be to provide a central, standardised document, containing all landlord and tenant responsibilities from fire safety to anti-social behaviour."
In reply, Mr Shapps confirmed he would consider the idea: "It sounds like it might be something comparative to a template lease and is something worth further consideration."
The document could finally make it compulsory for landlords to fit smoke alarms in their rental properties at the change of tenancy as proposed in the Fire Safety (Protection of Tenants) Bill, which is backed by Mr Sanders.
The move could help reduce the number of fire deaths, with figures from the UK Statistics Authority showing that a smoke alarm was not present in over a third of fire fatalities in 2008.

noreply@blogger.com (fireisk.co.uk) — Wed, 02 May 2012 03:53:56 PDT

Crews tackle blaze at West Lothian scrapyard

From Fire Industry Association

02 May 2012

Fire crews have tackled a blaze which damaged around 60 cars at a scrapyard in West Lothian yesterday (1st May).
More than 50 firefighters were called to Campbells Auto Salvage in Armadale at around 8pm.
A total of 20 scrap vehicles caught alight and Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service estimated that a further 40 were affected.
A total of 54 officers were required to eventually extinguish the flames, including a crew from Central Scotland Fire and Rescue Service.
A 'suitable and sufficient' fire risk assessment must be conducted on all commercial properties in Scotland under the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005.
If this fire risk assessment is judged to have not been carried out to a suitable extent, the Duty Holder for the establishment can face up to two years in prison or an unlimited fine.
No-one is reported to have been injured in the blaze.

noreply@blogger.com (fireisk.co.uk) — Wed, 02 May 2012 03:49:40 PDT

Fire safety standards could be included in proposed 'landlord charter'

From Fire Industry Association

01 May 2012

Crews tackle blaze at Edinburgh pub

noreply@blogger.com (fireisk.co.uk) — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 03:52:42 PDT

Crews tackle blaze at Edinburgh pub

17 Apr 2012 From FIA

Fire crews have tackled a blaze which broke out in a pub in Edinburgh yesterday evening (16th April).
Around fifty firefighters were called to the Volunteer Arms in Leith Walk just after 7pm after a fire began in the basement and ground floor of the pub.
Seven pumping appliances and supporting vehicles, as well as a height appliance, attended the incident as officers in breathing apparatus battled the flames. Crews are remaining on the scene to dampen down any small pockets of fire in the building.
There are currently no reported casualties.
A 'suitable and sufficient' fire risk assessment must be conducted on all commercial properties in Scotland under the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005.
If this fire risk assessment is judged to have not been carried out to a suitable extent, the Duty Holder for the establishment can face up to two years in prison or an unlimited fine.
The road was closed while firefighting operations were taking place, with police diverting traffic away from the area at the foot of The Walk.

Fire-hit Glasgow warehouse to be demolished

noreply@blogger.com (fireisk.co.uk) — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 03:51:11 PDT

Fire-hit Glasgow warehouse to be demolished

17 Apr 2012 From FIA

A warehouse in Glasgow is set to be demolished after suffering irreparable damage in a fire last week.
Fire crews were called to Alfa Wholesale Cash and Carry in the Finneston area of Glasgow just after 8.30pm on Friday (13th April).
Around 30 firefighters tackled the flames for several hours before it was eventually brought under control at around 3.20am on the following morning.
A spokesman for the council said: "The basement of the property was gutted in the fire, while the building control team have also confirmed the building will be demolished as a result.
"It is our understanding the owner's insurers are on-site looking at taking care of the demolition of the building."
A 'suitable and sufficient' fire risk assessment must be conducted on all commercial properties in Scotland under the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005.
If this fire risk assessment is judged to have not been carried out to a suitable extent, the Duty Holder for the establishment can face up to two years in prison or an unlimited fine.

Fife community centre damaged in blaze

noreply@blogger.com (fireisk.co.uk) — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 03:49:42 PDT

Fife community centre damaged in blaze

18 Apr 2012 from FIA

A community centre in Fife has been damaged after a fire broke out in the premises late last night (17th April).
Fire crews were called to the Bowhill Club on Station Road, Cardenden, at 11.30pm by local police officers, reports STV.
Firefighters were able to control the flames, which started in the basement, in just over an hour before leaving the site.
A spokesman for Fife Fire and Rescue Service revealed that firefighters were required to remove gas cylinders from the building as part of the operation.
Nobody was injured in the blaze, with the extent of the damage currently unknown.
A 'suitable and sufficient' fire risk assessment must be conducted on all commercial properties in Scotland under the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005.
If this fire risk assessment is judged to have not been carried out to a suitable extent, the Duty Holder for the establishment can face up to two years in prison or an unlimited fine.
An investigation has been launched into the cause of the fire.

UK Fire Service College sale slammed by union

noreply@blogger.com (fireisk.co.uk) — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 03:20:17 PDT

UK Fire Service College sale slammed by union

My comments in italics at the bottom of the article.

16 Apr 2012

The government's decision to sell the UK Fire Service College is "outrageous", according to a union.
Earlier this month, fire and rescue minister Bob Neill announced that the college would be sold to the private sector in order to guarantee its future.
However, Prospect, which represents more than 70 staff at the Gloucestershire-based institution, has criticised the move due to the potential effect it would have on staff.
Union official Philippa Childs said: "Our members are worried about being transferred out of the public sector, not least because of the potential impact on their pay, pensions and other terms and conditions."
The union revealed that it used to be mandatory for all fire services to use the college for training and claimed that problems had occurred when brigades were given the chance to use alternative private training providers.
"It is outrageous that a national resource such as this should be privatised and thus subject to market forces which rely on making a profit in order to function," Ms Childs added.
The Fire Service College has been run as a trust since 1992 but has recently encountered financial issues - prompting the government to sell the 500-acre site.

The Fire Service College was once hailed as the best training facility in the world. The creme de la creme. Its downward spirral started when Brigades throughout the UK stopped using the Courses provided and had Regional Training Centres built.
At one time all Fire Officers would behave in exactly the same way in the same scenario. Not now.

In Fire Safety this is highlighted by the fact that not only do different F & RS expect or ask for different standards but often induvidual Officers vary in their experience and expected standards.
I spent many happy years at the College and met many Staff both uniformed and "civillian" who were at the top of their field and this ensured a high quality of training.

It is a sad time for the UK Fire Service when this is allowed to happen.

Best of luck to the Staff and I wholeheartedly support them in their endeavours to keep their terms & conditions.

Does this Heading mislead?

noreply@blogger.com (fireisk.co.uk) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 08:33:35 PDT

I have yet to find a Fire Alarm linked to an escape door. I suspect the alarm disabled was a security alarm which can be over-ridden by staff by use of a fob. If this is the case this is really shoddy reporting. I have tweeted to the Courier and await their reply.

Published in the Courier : 17.04.12

Published online : 17.04.12 @ 03.14pm

Tribunal upholds sacking of care home worker suspected of disabling fire alarm to go for smoke

A Dundee care home officer was rightly sacked for smoking on duty and trying to cover up her behaviour, an employment tribunal has ruled.

Published in the Courier : 17.04.12
Published online : 17.04.12 @ 03.14pm

Jacqueline Kettles was found to have opened a fire exit and disabled the alarm system at Turriff House to go outside for a cigarette.
She should have been inside looking after the frail elderly residents, many of whom have dementia and would wander outside if not stopped by the alarm system.
She denied she had been smoking and said she had gone outside as she wasn't feeling well, but the city council felt the evidence against her was ''overwhelming'' and they sacked her for gross misconduct.
Mrs Kettles alleged she had been unfairly dismissed as a social care officer at the premises in Rannoch Road.
The tribunal heard that on the morning of April 7 last year, a council personnel officer visited the home to investigate a separate disciplinary matter involving residents being left unsupervised for 20 minutes.
As she approached in her car, the personnel officer thought she saw a member of staff standing at a fire door in a secluded corner. As she got closer the staff member saw her and hurriedly went inside.
The personnel officer thought the incident was odd and told staff about it. She then went to the hallway of the Longwynd section and at the fire escape she smelled cigarettes.
The fire escape was alarmed and the alarm would have to be disabled to open the door without it going off.
She then saw Mrs Kettles but thought she ''ducked into a room'' to avoid her, behaviour she regarded as unusual.
Tribunal chairman Mr J Hendry said, in rejecting the claim unanimously, that they accepted the evidence that Mrs Kettles had been smoking. The evidence had been circumstantial but was ''compelling'' in the eyes of the employers.
Considering all the circumstances of the case, the tribunal could not say that dismissal was outwith the band of responses open to the city council, and so the dismissal was fair.

Hotel Owner Guilty of Fire Safety breaches

noreply@blogger.com (fireisk.co.uk) — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 03:31:40 PDT

Although the Legislation differs in Scotland, these charges would still have been made under The Fire (Scotland) Act Part 3: 2005.

Sultan Chaudhry, owner of the White Lodge Hotel in Cheetham Street West in Salford has pleaded guilty to ten breaches of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 at Manchester Magistrates’ Court.
Fire safety officers found several breaches at the hotel after a fire broke out on April 13th 2011.
A guest from the first-floor had to be rescued by firefighters despite the manager claiming that no one was inside the property at the time.
Officers discovered faulty Fire Alarms and empty Extinguishers. There was no emergency lighting and the escape routes were inadequate.
Officers also reported that there was no suitable Fire Risk Assessment and staff had not been trained in fire evacuation procedures. A prohibition notice was issued to prevent people from staying there.
Peter O’Reilly, from Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service said: “This could have been a very serious incident. It is unacceptable for a hotel business not to have proper procedures in place and put lives at risk.”
A full list of the charges brought against Mr Chaudhry can be found here.

From Assured Fire & Security

A "suspicious" fire at a recycling plant has caused £500,000 worth of damage.

noreply@blogger.com (fireisk.co.uk) — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 08:04:57 PDT

A "suspicious" fire at a recycling plant has caused £500,000 worth of damage.
Crews were called to the site in Albert Street, Motherwell, at around 2.30am on Sunday. Equipment in the yard was well alight and firefighters worked to put out the flames.
The police and fire service carried out an investigation and discovered the blaze was started deliberately.

Strathclyde Police is now appealing for witnesses as it tries to track down the person responsible.
Detective Sergeant Scott Wilson said: "The premises is owned by a recycling company and the damage is mainly to a high-value piece of machinery which is estimated to be worth half a million pounds.

"Officers are checking the extensive CCTV from the yard and carrying out enquiries in the local area. Although this happened in the early hours of the morning, Albert St can have a steady stream of taxis and cars at this time, so it is possible that someone may have seen people or vehicles acting suspiciously in the area before the fire or making away at speed after the incident."

Anyone with information is asked to contact Wishaw CID on 01698 202 600 or through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

From STV News