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Adam Bannister is a contributor to IFSEC Global, having been in the role of Editor from 2014 through to November 2019. Adam also had stints as a journalist at cybersecurity publication, The Daily Swig, and as Managing Editor at Dynamis Online Media Group.
September 14, 2016

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£29k fine for HMO landlord who “put profit before safety” – fire-safety news roundup

A landlord who put ‘profit before safety’ will now find profits dented by a £29,000 fine for fire-safety breaches.

Several deficiencies – including the absence of a working fire detection system and damaged fire doors – came to light after the Council’s housing licensing and compliance team visited the property earlier this year to assess compliance for a proposed HMO licence.

Nottingham HMO Ltd, which is directed by Nazaquat Azam and previously by Yusif McCallum, was found guilty of breaching HMO (houses of multiple occupation) regulations at Nottingham Magistrates Court.

An inspection of one of the firm’s properties discovered an infestation of rats in the kitchen and a general state of disrepair, including the damaged fire doors.

Nottingham HMO Ltd has been refused a HMO licence.

“Nottingham HMO Ltd completely ignored the advice given to them for their own financial gain, placing their tenants at the risk of harm,” said Councillor Nicola Heaton, Nottingham City Council’s portfolio holder for community services. “This is simply ‘profit before safety’ and the landlord has been held accountable for their criminal actions.

“We will continue to rigorously enforce the law, ensuring that privately rented housing in Nottingham is up to the required standards for citizens, who have the right to live in a decent and safe home. We welcome this conviction and hope that it sends a message out to private landlords who may think about cutting corners on the standard of accommodation.”


Fire extinguisher test damages bank servers because it’s too loud

A bank’s Romanian customers could not access their cash on Saturday because of a bungled fire extinguisher test. ING’s cash machines, online banking operations and website were taken offline because a discharge from its gas-based fire suppression system had damaged computer servers.

The fire extinguisher system used at the site, a data centre in Bucharest, expels a mixture gases – nitrogen, argon and carbon dioxide – that are not normally considered harmful to computer equipment.

But Vice publication Motherboard has reported that the high-pressure release created a sound loud enough – topping 130 decibels – to damage hard disks.

The incident seems to support the findings of a study published by Siemens last year. The report suggested that nozzles used by some fire suppression systems could create sound-wave vibrations that cause “fatal” damage to hard disks.

Read more. 


 

Fire destroys Sao Paulo shantytown

Hundreds of people in Brazil have fled wooden homes after a fire swept through a slum on the perimeter of Sao Paulo.

Most of the shantytown in Osasco, a suburb on the outskirts of Sao Paulo, has been destroyed. No injuries or deaths have been reported.

About 1,000 people live in 120 shacks in the shantytown, according to Osasco newspaper Correio Paulista.

Read more. 


Thames cruiser evacuated safely following engine fire

A luxury pleasure cruiser smashed into a pier on the Thames last week after a blaze broke out in its engine room.

All 142 passengers were safely evacuated from the boat. The Metropolitan Police confirmed that there were no no serious injuries.

Read more. 

2023 Fire Safety eBook – Grab your free copy!

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Plus, we explore the growing risks of lithium-ion battery fires and hear from experts in disability evacuation and social housing.

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