ISSUE 15 | 2010


THE PUBLICATION OF THE FIA – LEADING THE WAY IN FIRE SAFETY


88% OF FIRES EXTINGUISHED BY PORTABLE FIRE EXTINGUISHERS


F


ollowing the comprehensive survey reported in 2003, which


identifi ed that in 80% of cases portable equipment successfully extinguished fi res and in 75% of those cases, the fi re brigade was not required to attend, FIA Portable Extinguisher members were asked again to research data. At a time where we are seeing more and more, politically correct ‘world gone mad’ decisions recommending that people do not attempt to use extinguishers in any circumstance, the association believes we need to remind people of the value portable fi re extinguishers provide to society.


The number of responses, though


fewer than the original survey*, produce similar results.


In 75% of incidents the extinguisher put out the fi re without Fire & Rescue Services (FRS) being called. In 88% of incidents the extinguishers put out the fi re whether the FRS were called or not.


The 75% of incidents remains exactly the same whilst this latest data shows an increase, by 8%, in fi res


being extinguished. The 2003 report suggested fi re extinguishers actually save £5.1 million each year in terms of fi re service resources and saved the UK economy over £500 million. Plus 1,629 injuries and the loss of 24 lives were prevented.


Our data supports the importance


of portable extinguishers. Far too often we see reports that portables are being removed or that people are being encouraged to ignore them and immediately evacuate their building! If someone drops a lit match on


a carpet, they do not evacuate the building, they, usually, calmly tread on the match and extinguish the fl ame. With portable extinguishers, common sense also applies, if we are faced with small fi res (slightly larger than the ‘tread on’ size) and we are safe to do so, we should be encouraged to extinguish the fi re before it spreads. The Fire Safety Order says ‘Where necessary in order to safeguard the safety of relevant persons, the responsible person must ensure that the premises are equipped with


Contents


88% of fi res extinguished by Portable Fire Extinguishers


WWW.FIA.UK.COM


Is there an Alan Sugar out there? False Alarms Case Study The 2010 FIA AGM & Lunch


|1 |2 |3 |4


Welcome New Members Named & Shamed


|4 |5


Landlord jailed after a fi re nearly kills a tenant |6 The FIA Annual Conference was a soaring success! |7 Another face to a name


|9


appropriate fi re-fi ghting equipment and fi re-fi ghting equipment is simple to use and indicated by signs. The responsible person must take measures for fi re-fi ghting in the premises and nominate competent persons to implement those measures and ensure that the number of such persons, their training and the equipment available to them are adequate.’ BAFE’s SP101/ST104 scheme, provides third party assurance that registered


Continued on page 2


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