Just like the DCLG and
the ODPM
before it, the CLG (Communities and Local Government)
“sets policy on...fire and
rescue”, Primarily in England and Wales, and is also responsible for the
legislation so arising.However, a recent request by
info4fire.com under
the Freedom of Information Act has, has revealed how the headquarters of
the very department that legislates for fire safety, fell foul of its
own legislation.
The CLG’s headquarters, Eland House, were inspected in late November
2009 by the Enforcing Officers, in this case the Crown Premises
Inspection Group (“CPIG”). In a damning report, the inspector said
“The concepts of ‘responsible’ and ‘competent’ persons, and the duties
placed upon those persons under the Order, appear not to be understood
within CLG premises”. The inspector goes on to say: “At present there is
a lack of national policy, guidance and ownership of fire safety
management across the CLG estate.”
A Crown Enforcement Notice, dated 16 February 2010, was served on the
then secretary of state for CLG, John
Denham. According, to
info4fire.com, it lists alleged breaches of 13 Articles of the
Fire Safety Order that impose duties on the CLG, as the
responsible person, including:
- An unsuitable and insufficient fire risk assessment;
- Failing to nominate competent persons to help the responsible
person discharge his duties;
- Failure to adequately maintain the fire alarm system,
interconnections between fire safety systems, and smoke vents
throughout the building;
- an “unacceptable” policy that no one should use portable fire
extinguishers in the building;
- Lack of evidence of adequate training and provision of essential
fire safety information to staff;
- shortcomings in the means of escape for the number of people
likely to occupy the building; ans
- Introducing a fire load in the atrium which was not considered
in the building’s fire engineered design, by installing a cafeteria
which, it is said, may lead to “uncontrolled fire spread throughout
the building”
Unlike the properties of other large organisations who have had to
‘face the music’ for their breaches of the Fire Safety Order,
Eland House qualifies as Crown premises. The
Fire Safety Order’s
Article 32 offences do not apply to the Crown - they are
effectively immune from prosecution.
Read info4fire.com’s
article on this story
here.
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