Fire investigators found that the building owner had failed to carry out a fire risk assessment for the building, didn’t have adequate fire protection measures in the building which meant that safe evacuation was not possible, and there were no fire alarm or smoke detection systems in place.
Building owner, John Kyriakides pleaded guilty to three breaches of the Fire Safety Order when he appeared recently at Southwark Crown Court. He was sentenced to two months in prison, suspended for 12 months, fined £20,000, and ordered to pay £11,500 prosecution costs.
Following the successful prosecution, the Brigade’s Assistant Commissioner for Fire Safety, Paul Jennings, said: “Breathing apparatus crews who entered the building reported heavy smoke logging inside and they were unable to see anything but worked hard to tackle the blaze and prevented it spreading to other parts of the building, fortunately without any serious injuries.
“Our inspectors found failings in the building which amounted to a serious breach of Mr Kyriakides’s duties and showed a disregard of any proper fire safety measures and therefore a disregard for the safety of his tenants. Failings in fire safety measures also pose a heightened risk to firefighters who are already doing a dangerous job.
“There’s no excuse for leaving people’s safety to chance, especially when information is so readily available to those with responsibility for safety in buildings to understand what their duties are and ensure they comply with the law.”
2023 Fire Safety eBook – Grab your free copy!
Download the Fire Safety in 2023 eBook, keeping you up to date with the biggest news and prosecution stories from around the industry. Chapters include important updates such as the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 and an overview of the new British Standard for the digital management of fire safety information.
Plus, we explore the growing risks of lithium-ion battery fires and hear from experts in disability evacuation and social housing.