A Duty Of Care

At UK-FP (http://www.uk-fp.co.uk/) we urge our customers, and indeed everyone, to be safety conscious. Fire safety, we believe, is a moral duty of care for a business owner or landlord. The law states that one person, in any commercial premises, needs to take overall responsibility for the safety of the building’s inhabitants, staff and visitors. Everyone needs to be vigilant of course, but ultimately the fire extinguishers, alarms and all of the necessary fire safety equipment, should be overseen by the designated person. It’s a moral obligation to take care of those around us, but for the individual with ultimate responsibility, it’s a legal requirement.

There is a growing trend for people renting accommodation in disused properties. Companies provide low cost housing for people that are willing to live in premises that are awaiting planning approval to be refurbished. Whilst that helps both the tenant and the property owner, the duty of care doesn’t decrease with the level of rent charged.

Recently a landlord who rented out rooms in a Kentish Town public house, that were unused at the time, has been sentenced at court and has received a suspended prison sentence, and in addition has been ordered to carry out 100 hours of community service for not complying with fire safety regulations.

The London Fire Brigade says the case highlights the increasing problem of tenants living in unsuitable buildings. There is an additional risk, so the report suggests, because the tenants that are likely to live in such accommodation, may well rely on riskier methods of heating, cooking and lighting than conventional means. In this case the police raised concerns about the safety of the premises and the Fire Brigade’s safety officers carried out a safety audit in January 2010. Their findings included the lack of sufficient fire alarms and other fire safety equipment.

Speaking after the sentencing, London Fire Brigade’s Assistant Commissioner for fire safety regulation stated that “The issue of unsuitable buildings being rented out as accommodation continues to be a concern for London Fire Brigade and this verdict sends out a clear message that if building owners ignore their responsibilities under fire safety law we will not hesitate to prosecute and they will face serious penalties.”

The landlord has been charged due to the breaches, including failure to provide a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment, the lack of adequate fire products including fire detection and alarm systems, the failure to protect the means of escape and a lack of emergency lighting.  The judge presiding said that it was merely good fortune that prevented a serious incident occurring, and therefore, only a custodial sentence would be appropriate.

At UK-FP (http://www.uk-fp.co.uk/) we think this case highlights the dangers of ignoring fire risk assessments and not implementing the necessary fire safety precautions. Breaking fire safety regulations can endanger property and lives.  

  

Editor’s Note: UK-FP (http://www.uk-fp.co.uk) are represented by the search engine advertising and digital marketing specialists Jumping Spider Media. Email: info@jumpingspidermedia.co.uk or call: +44 (0)20 3070 1959 / +34 952 783 637.