South Devon housing association protects tenants with fire safety training

A housing association in Teignbridge has partnered with the local fire service to undergo fire safety training, in order to protect the residents of their buildings.

As part of a pioneering new scheme, staff at Teign Housing have now been given the skills to conduct at least a basic fire risk assessment of tenants’ homes. This will allow them to recommend that safety measures such as fitting fire alarms and planning escape routes be taken by residents.

Teign Housing made the decision to get involved in the scheme after two children were killed in a fire in Torquay, in a property without fire alarms fitted. The residence was managed by Riviera Housing Trust, who later revealed that 25 per cent of their properties were not fitted with fire alarms.

Teign Housing, who has always placed a great importance on smoke alarms, is the first housing association to take part in such a partnership scheme. The CEO of the company, Mike Hanrahan, explained his motivations for getting involved, saying:

“Prevention is always better than cure.

“Fire safety has always been a priority for us, and all of our properties have hard wired smoke alarms fitted as standard.

“But after a number of fatal fires, both locally and nationally, it made us think about what else we could do to prevent a tragedy like this.”

Horwich waste recycling plant targeted in third arson attack

A waste recycling plant in Horwich, Greater Manchester has been set alight in what police believe is the third arson attack on the premises in the last few years. The fire, which started at Armstrong’s Environmental Services in the early hours of Tuesday (31st August) morning, caused massive disruption in the local area and firefighters are reportedly still on the scene.

Bolton CID are now attributing the cause of the fire to arsonists, who they believe set hundreds of tonnes of plastic waste on fire in a storage warehouse between the hours of 11pm on Monday night and 2.15am Tuesday morning.

The fire spread rapidly, causing thick billowing smoke to issue from the building. It is not yet known whether the premises was fitted with fire alarms, or any other fire safety or prevention equipment.

Local roads were closed to allow the emergency services to access the Mansell Way facility, and more than 40 firefighters were on the scene at the height of the blaze. It is likely that the fire service will remain at the scene until the end of the week.

A spokesperson for Bolton CID has commented on the incident, saying:

“This fire is being treated as malicious and we are keen for anyone with information to get in touch.

“It has caused a lot of disruption locally and caused massive inconvenience for residents and the firm itself.”

Taking care of your fire risk management

Trying to take care of all your legal obligations in addition to actually running the business can prove to be quite difficult for any company owner. If you are unsure what you have to do in order for your organisation to comply with the current fire safety requirements, you can now turn to the specialists to help with the situation.

The fire safety specialists can assist you in managing all your fire safety procedures and bring them up to date. A complete service package is available and so you can select what you require according to your particular needs.

The training provider can perform the duties of a fire safety officer in working with the fire service with regards to inspection visits. They can also carry out the Fire Risk Assessment for you, as well as ensuring it is maintained and reviewed over time.

The fire safety training of all your employees can also be taken care of and organised on your behalf. Competent persons can also be selected and trained as Fire Wardens to the required standard.

And if you need help performing evacuation drills, which are also required by law, then this can also be managed for you, along with the upkeep of your fire safety log book.

There are many other things the specialist can do for you, so get in touch to discuss your fire risk management requirements.

Birmingham gas cylinder fire forces road closure

It has been reported that residents who lived within a short distance from a gas cylinder fire in Birmingham had to be evacuated from their homes on Tuesday afternoon.

All homes in the vicinity of Ken elm Road in Small Heath were emptied by the local council’s Birmingham Resilience Team (BRT) after a blaze broke out in a garden shed where a number of gas cylinders were stored. People who could not gain access to their homes took refuge at Sally Leisure Centre.

These precautionary measures were taken due to the threat of a gas explosion and so a cordon was erected around the scene, with the road closed to traffic. The fire was spotted at around 1:30pm and residents were still unable to go back to their properties until after 8:30pm.

A spokesman of the police said:

“The risk to residents due to gas cylinders which were unsafe following a fire has been reassessed by specially trained staff and the vast majority of people living in the area can now return to their normal daily lives.

“A small number of houses will need to remain evacuated for safety reasons.”

Fire investigators are working with West Midlands Police to determine the cause of the fire.

Fire breaks out in Kidderminster factory

Over 40 firefighters were called to an unoccupied industrial unit in Worcester on Wednesday morning following reports of smoke bellowing from the building.

Fire crews from Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue service with eight fire engines attended the scene at Hard Anodising on Firs Industrial Estate, off Oldington Lane just before 8am.

Those who witnessed the blaze saw thick smoke coming from the single level factory which was used for metal finishing.

Ian Bytheway, a worker at a nearby unit, said:

“We were told it would be for the best to stay outside of our building until the fire was out.

“It was a surprise to turn up to see the emergency services here and to see the smoke from the factory.”

The blaze was eventually brought under control as firefighters worked at it using an aerial ladder and platform.

Police had to shut a number of roads in the area, while environmental protection units were called for due to the fact the company utilised chemical processes.

There were no reported injuries following the fire, with nobody was in the building at the time, although firefighters and police had to remain on site as they investigated the cause of the blaze.