Hotel Owner Behind Bars for Fire Safety Breaches

Fire Safety Hotels Fire Safety Order 2005

Hotel Owner Behind Bars for Fire Safety Breaches

Nottingham Crown Court has sentenced a local hotel owner to a stint behind bars for breaching the Fire Safety Order 2005*.

Nottingham Crown Court has sentenced a local hotel owner to a stint behind bars for breaching the Fire Safety Order 2005*.  
 
Five safety issues led to the prison sentence and £20,000 costs being handed down by Judge McAdam. He said the owner of the A1 Hotel had “shown a wilful disregard for fire safety laws” and continued to profit whilst placing hotel guests at risk.
 
The hotel owner had ignored an earlier enforcement notice.  The offences included the failure to undertake a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment and further offences related to escape routes, fire safety arrangements, the fire alarm and emergency lighting systems.
 
The fact that enforcement notices had been ignored led the Judge to emphasise that “fire kills”.  
 
The owner of the hotel, located in Sherwood, Nottingham, pleaded guilty to the offences. The six month prison sentence and the judge’s comments were welcomed by the local fire and rescue service. Andy Kelly, head of fire protection said:
 
“Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service does and will always seek to work with and support business owners to make sure they keep their premises, guests and employees safe. However staff, members of the public and visitors using premises within Nottingham and Nottinghamshire should feel reassured that they can do so safely.”
 
Other businesses falling foul of the law recently include a landowner who stored wood incorrectly resulting in a major blaze and a Rotherham-based landlord whose rented properties were deemed unfit to live in because of serious electrical and fire safety issues. 
 
Mike Pearson, Director with Wirral Fire says: “The sentence shows that The Fire Safety Order has teeth and business owners found not to be taking their legal duties seriously will feel the full brunt of the law. We are committed to providing new and existing clients with clear and concise fire safety guidance backed up with a highly professional and competitive ‘third party accredited’ installation, testing & maintenance service.”
 

Any company or North West business or organisation that is worried about fire safety at their premises should get in touch with Mike Here

*Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005

 

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