Legislation and Compliance
and call in administrators after a fire in early August 2010 destroyed its premises. There is a long list of horror
stories and case studies of businesses that have not done the right thing and consequently paid the price. High street fashion retailer New
Look was recently fined a record £400,000 for fire safety breaches after a blaze broke out at one of its central London branches. It was fined £250,000 for failing to supply a 'suitable and sufficient' fire risk assessment for the premises and £150,000 for failing to adequately train staff. A restaurant in Stokesley, North
Yorkshire, was fined £15,000 for 10 breaches to the FSO, which became known after a fire started at the restaurant in January 2010. Two people became trapped on the upper floors of the premises with no escape route, emergency lighting or a fire extinguisher. A hotel in Leicester was recently
fined £40,000 for 10 breaches to the FSO, discovered following a fire in August 2009. This included a fire alarm that could not be heard in the basement where one member of staff lived. This person did not know that a fire had started until a colleague went down to the basement to raise the alarm. According to the International
Labour Office, poor health and safety at work kills 6,000 people a day world-wide. 270 million accidents and incidents are recorded each year of which 350,000 are fatal.
Do you still think it will never happen to you?
There are two ends to the spectrum when it comes to compliance activity and adherence with many positions in between. There’s the unknowingly incompetent -- those who honestly don’t know that they need to do something; those who know but avoid it; those who know what they need to do but do the bare minimum; and those who ‘get it’. These are the ones who recognize and implement good health and safety compliance.
Facilities UK - Handbook 2010 - 11 11
Where do you fall on this spectrum?
Like with eating five-a-day, wearing a seat belt, quitting smoking and not drink driving, if you won’t do it for yourself, do it for someone else – your staff, your customers, your investors, your family. Instead of focusing on the
negative – the time, expense, resources and paperwork required to be FSO compliant – focus on the opportunities that compliance brings. Shout about your compliance,
and use it as a positive point of difference between you and your competitors. You are a company that cares. Encourage your staff and
colleagues to get involved and
take a lead. Get them engaged and interested in their own safety and their colleagues’ safety. Encourage them to be safety officers or fire wardens. Provide them with annual fire awareness training. Show your board you’re
committed to minimising costs. Complying with fire safety regulations may not stop fires from happening, but it should limit the damage caused should your business be affected, reduce potential fines and keep premiums in check. It’s time to move from ‘it will
never happen to me’ to ‘it will never happen to me, because I’m compliant and I understand the risks of not being so’.
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www.greenco2plc.com
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