Prison sentence and fines for hotel manager and fire risk assessor
The manager of two hotels in Mansfield has been found guilty of serious fire breaches.
David Liu who is the manager of The Dial Hotel and The Market Inn pleaded guilty to 15 fire safety offences under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
John O’Rourke, an independent fire risk assessor who was responsible for carrying out the fire risk assessments at the hotels also pleaded guilty to 2 offences.
Nottingham Fire and Rescue Service discovered the breaches whilst on a routine inspection. It was found that the hotels did not have smoke alarms in bedrooms, no adequate means of escape, no emergency lighting and insufficient firefighting equipment.
A prohibition order was issued to the owners stating that the hotel should not be used until the fire safety standards complied with current required standards.
Mr O’Rourke and Mr Liu were sentenced at Nottingham Crown Court on Friday 8th July. Mr O’Rourke was ordered to pay £5,860 and Mr Liu £15,000 in costs. Each will serve 8 months in prison.
Shell UK to pay huge fines after 2008 explosion
Shell UK has been ordered to pay 1.242 million pounds in fines and legal costs for a fire at its Bacton terminal in 2008. The company was found guilty of 7 offences.
The fire and explosion were caused by a leak of hydrocarbon liquid.
A spokesperson for Shell UK said: “What happened was completely unacceptable and falls well below the standards that we set for ourselves. Safety is our company’s priority and so an incident like this is deeply disappointing,”
The Environment Agency local Environment Manager, Marcus Sibley said: “The explosion could have led to a major environmental disaster as other highly flammable materials were stored nearby,”
There were no casualties in the incident as staff were returning from the plant to the main offices for shift handovers.
Since the explosion, Shell has invested around 3 million pounds into reviewing safety procedures.
Landlords told to make sure they meet safety standards
Yorkshire landlords and agents are being told to make sure they conform to current fire safety regulations after a huge blaze broke out at a building in Scarborough.
The fire broke out in the Queen Street flat in May last year. Landlord, Mr Mcferren later appeared at York Crown Court and was fined £5,000 for breaching serious fire safety regulations and ordered to pay £2,400 in costs.
An investigation into the fire showed that Mr Mcferren had rented out the flats even though there had been no fire risk assessment and there was no working fire alarm and fire detection system in the property.
Richard Hanley of North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue service said: “The majority of business premises that we visit under our audit schedule are well-managed, however, we continue to find buildings where the legislation does apply, which do not have adequate fire risk assessments or fire safety provisions. The conviction of Mr Mcferren on this matter shows how seriously the Fire Authority and the courts view those who put the safety of others at risk in the event of a fire.”
The fire service have issued a warning to remind business owners and landlords that they must comply with the relevant fire regulations.
Fire Training Academy are able to provide you with detailed information on what you need to do to ensure you meet current safety standards.
Prison sentence for Italian CEO after fatal fire
The chief executive officer at Italian firm ThyssenKrupp has been sentenced to almost 17 years in prison after 7 employees died in a fire in 2007 at one of the company’s plants.
The company was fined nearly £900,000 for the serious fire safety breaches.
Other senior officials at the company, Marco Pucci, Gerald Pregnitz, Giuseppe Salerno and Cosimo Cafueri were all sentenced to 13 and a half years in jail, and Daniele Moroni was given just under 11 years.
Prosecutor, Raffaele Guariniello said that the verdict would “mean a lot for health and safety at the workplace”.
Landlord guilty of fire safety breaches
A landlord from Peterborough has been charged with breaching the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 after a fire broke out in September 2010.
The fire started in the Windmill pub below the flats and 6 people had to be rescued by fire crews.
Javid Iqbalm, owner of the flats was fined £3,500 and ordered to pay costs of £899 after being found guilty at Peterborough Magistrates Court. The breaches included failing to provide sufficient escape routes and not having escape windows in the property.
Steve Cotton from Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service said: “Failing to apply for building regulations approval meant that this building was not compliant with fire safety regulations, and that put lives at risk. If the owner ignores these regulations there is a possibility that the building will not be safe.”