A breach of safety by a housing association in the capital has further highlighted the need for fire safety training courses and other fire safety related resources, as are readily available for all responsible organisations in this crucial sector.
Lewisham Homes has been heavily criticised for failing to properly maintain fire doors and review an existing fire risk assessment at a block of flats where a fatal fire occurred in 2011.
More than one hundred firefighters were sent to Marine Tower, Abinger Grove after a fire was deliberately started by one of the residents. The blaze spread alarmingly quickly and took the lives of two women in the neighbouring flat.
A fire safety failure
London Fire Brigade (LFB) carried out an investigation into the property, encountering failings in its fire doors; the flat where the fire started was fitted with a metal security door that prevented the closure of the door behind it.
This led to the smoke caused by the fire spreading much quicker throughout the lobby, and then to the adjacent flat where the two women died due to smoke inhalation. LFB then successfully prosecuted Lewisham Homes for failing to maintain fire safety features.
The housing firm was fined £40,000 and ordered to pay £23,407 in prosecution costs, with Judge Christopher Hehir stating that if the housing provider was not a not-for-profit organisation, the fine would have been “considerably” higher.
Sandra Clarke, the resident who started the fire, was convicted of two counts of manslaughter and sentenced to a minimum prison term of six years and eight months.
A Lewisham Homes spokeswoman stated: “In 2011 the actions of a tenant led to the deaths of two people and her subsequent conviction, a tragedy that that touched us all and we deeply regret.
“We accept our failings under the fire safety regulations and take residents’ safety very seriously. We have been determined to learn lessons and invested heavily year on year to continually improve fire safety, and have made significant progress over the past five years.
“This is shown through our four star ratings in 2013 and 2015 under the British Safety Council’s audit of our health and safety systems.”
Such shocking and tragic incidents as this one may be uncommon if not rare, but there will always be a great need for sufficient fire risk assessments and fire safety equipment. Salvum offers an array of services related to fire safety, including risk assessments and fire marshal training.
We also offer other health and safety services, including policy writing, asbestos surveys and even e-learning courses. For more information, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
