Are Your Fire Safety Actions Up To Date 2025?
Could you be facing “time behind bars” for neglecting your fire safety responsibilities?
Watson Alarms always aim to provide our customers with the best advice and recommendations not only to ensure a fully working fire alarm system but also a compliant system based on our interpretation of BS5839:2025 Part 1 for Commercial Premises and BS5839:2019 Part 6 for Residential Premises. When it comes to installing/ repairing/ maintaining Fire Alarm Systems there are legal responsibilities placed upon our individual Engineers, Watson Alarms as a business as well as the duty holder of the building where we are working.
The article below provides an example of what can happen if you do not comply with current Fire Safety Legislation in this case failure to ensure the premises had adequate general fire precautions and to make a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment for the premises as required by the Fire Order: –
Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service welcomes successful fire safety prosecution.
Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service has successfully concluded a prosecution against the Person in Control of a care home, following serious breaches of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. The failures identified placed the lives and safety of elderly residents and staff at significant risk.
In December 2020, fire safety officers carried out an inspection at Morvern Care Centre on South Promenade, Thornton-Cleveleys. The inspection uncovered multiple serious fire safety failings, prompting the issue of a Prohibition Notice to prevent further occupation of the premises. At the time, 45 elderly and vulnerable residents were living at the care home, supported by on-site staff.
Given the severity of the risks, a multi-agency response was coordinated over the following weeks to safely relocate all residents to alternative care facilities.
Following investigation, Rajest Kumar Chechani was found to have failed to comply with key requirements of the Fire Safety Order.
The court imposed the following penalties:
- A three-month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months
- A £10,000 fine, with an additional victim surcharge to be determined
- £33,000 in costs payable to Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service
This case underscores the critical importance of ensuring fire safety compliance, particularly in premises housing vulnerable occupants. The FIA continues to support the work of Fire and Rescue Services across the UK in promoting awareness, compliance, and the highest standards of fire safety management across all sectors.
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In Scotland a Duty Holder who has official responsibilities in the relation to the day-to-day control of the premises. These include ensuring a Fire Risk Assessment (FRA) has been carried out to comply with Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 and Fire Safety (Scotland) Regulations 2006.
Even if you have had a Fire Risk Assessment carried out previously it is recommended that the FRA should be updated either when there is significant change to the layout of the building or change of use of the building and/or every 2 years.
There are many different items which are covered by a FRA however one of them, is to assess if the category of Fire Alarm System installed is best suited for the type and use of the building and to ensure that the system is under a maintenance contract with competent individuals testing the system on a 6 monthly basis. The customer also has responsibilities including carrying our weekly tests of manual call points and logging all false alarm activations.
Watson Alarms continues to invest heavily in test equipment and training for our Employees to ensure we have the `tools` and knowledge to offer our clients a reliable high level of service.
If you are unsure if your building/s complies with these requirements, please contact Watson Alarms and we will be pleased to either arrange for a free site survey to be carried out or we can direct you to one of the partners who specialise in area of your needs.
Watson Alarms are your local fire and security installation and maintenance company. If your home or business requires a new Fire or Security system or you want the reassurance that your existing system is in full working order, please contact us for your free site survey and quotation service by calling 0800 838653 or use the contact form on this website.
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