Minister rejects fire safety bill
Torbay MP, Adrian Sanders has spoken of his anger at the Governments attempt to persuade him to drop his proposals for compulsory fire alarms in rented accommodation.
After 4 months of trying, Mr Sanders was finally offered a meeting with Fire Minister, Bob Neill if he agreed to withdraw his appeal.
Mr Saunders has vowed to continue his campaign which follows the deaths of 2 children in a house fire in Ellacombe in 2009. The rented house did not have fire alarms at the time of the blaze.
The Fire Minister has said that making wired in smoke alarms a legal requirement for rented properties would involve a significant cost, and doubted that the obligation was ‘properly and practicably enforceable’.
In regards to discussing the matter further with Mr Sanders, Mr Neill has said “We have not shut the Hon gentleman out of the department, and I greatly hope that he will take up the opportunity to meet me and discuss the matter further.”
Police to investigate suspicious fires in Aberdeen
It has been reported that police have begun a probe into two blazes which have left buildings with extensive damage in the city of Aberdeen recently.
The police are treating both incidents, which happened within the same area in the north-west of the city early last Saturday morning, as suspicious.
Firefighters from Grampian Fire and Rescue Service were called to deal with both situations; at Stoneywood Mill Sports and Social Club, which is now derelict, as well as the old Bankhead Academy in Bucksburn.
Despite the fact that the two fires were fairly close to one another and both caused property damage, police have said that they have no evidence to suggest the blazes were related to one another.
The investigation is now underway into the causes of these incidents and to determine if indeed arson was involved.
The threat of arson to businesses in Aberdeen, Scotland and throughout Great Britain is always going to be a concern. This is why, if you are an owner of a company, you should seriously consider the fire safety procedures as well as the equipment installed in your work premises. The security of your building is also of paramount importance if you want to protect it from the very real threat posed by arson.
More info on Fire Marshal Training
If you own a business then all your employees need to learn about fire awareness, but in the event of a fire breaking out on your premises then you need a trained fire marshal to help evacuate the building.
This role is extremely important for any business to ensure fire safety within their organisation. A fire marshal is not just there for emergency situations either; they also need to make sure that the on-going fire safety procedures within the business are kept up to date too.
A fire marshal needs to monitor and maintain the fire safety equipment and fire alarms installed in the building as well as using their knowledge to let others know the right procedures and best practice to follow.
In order to conform to the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2006 you need to appoint the required number of competent people to perform duties as fire marshals for your company. Following successful completion of the course they will be able to organise evacuation drills and ensure that fire safety systems are in full working order.
When you undertake a Fire Marshal Training course from an experienced training provider, you are able to get instructions from the very best. These instructors have had experience in the field and will be able to impart this to your staff.
Parliament to hear landlord fire safety bill
The House of Common is preparing for the second reading of a private members bill stating that all landlords would be required by law to ensure that their properties are equipped with working smoke alarms.
The new law would mean that all landlords of public and private properties would be responsible for fitting and maintaining mains wired smoke alarm systems at the beginning of every new tenancy. Once fitted, this responsibility to maintain the fire alarms would pass to the tenant.
Currently, landlords are required to provide safe gas and electrical supplies but in many cases are not required by law to provide smoke alarms when it is a known fact that there are many more deaths from fire each year than by the effects of gas, carbon monoxide and electricity.
Dozens of lives are lost each year to fire related accidents in the home. Devon & Somerset Fire and Rescue Service Chief Fire Officer, Lee Howell is giving his full support to the bill and has said “It has been proved time and time again that working smoke alarms can save lives. It makes such a difference – in some cases a life and death difference”.
Mr Howell urges the public to contact their MPs to ask them to support the bill that will be heard later this month.
Flame retardants unsafe
A US study has revealed that flame retardants commonly used in TVs, sofas and many other household items could cause health problems.
The chemicals used have been found to accumulate in the body potentially causing health problems.
If these flame retardant items are disposed of in an unsafe way, dangerous dioxins would be produced causing serious problems. This is a real danger for developing countries that dismantle electronic products for recycling.