"Appalling State" of Welding Equipment Resulted in Explosion

A motor engineer working beneath a vehicle suffered serious burns after a cracked hose caught fire.

The accident happened on 16th July 2008 at A1 Rewinds Ltd. in Aston, Birmingham when Mr Harjit Singh Matharu, an electrical fitter at the company was trying to remove a car exhaust. He was using an oxy-acetylene welding gun, that had not been properly maintained.

The hose, which transported the acetylene to the gun, had numerous cracks and the gas leaked out into an air pocket underneath the vehicle. When the gun's flame came into contact with the leaking gas, it caught fire and subsequently exploded, which sparked a fire underneath the car.
Mr Matharu escaped from underneath the vehicle and extinguished the flames, but still received serious burns. After being rushed to hospital for treatment, Mr Singh Matharu was off work for several months following his serious injuries.

Pam Folsom, the HSE inspector investigating the incident, said that it was "immediately obvious" that the hose had not been properly maintained since its first use 28 years previous. The equipment was condemned after it had been taken away for inspection.

A1 Rewinds Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching regulation 5(1) of the Provision and use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER) 1998 at Birmingham Magistrates' Court on 24th April 2009. They were fined £2,000 and ordered to pay £1,500 towards the HSE's costs.

The company who have no previous convictions for safety offences expressed its remorse for the incident.

Inspector Folsom said: "The hoses were in an absolutely appalling state, totally perished, and had been shortened each time that a bend split the hose, allowing highly flammable gas to escape. The consequences of a gas cloud igniting beneath a vehicle, while a man is in the middle of that explosive mixture, are likely to be horrific.

"It is important for companies to ensure that they have fully considered all the risks their employees may face when using any equipment. The hoses were so obviously badly perished that there is no excuse for this incident."

Landlords Imprisoned for Fire Safety Breaches

Two landlords have been sentenced to six months in prison and ordered to pay £5,000 in costs for breaching the fire safety legislation.

The prosecution followed a fire on 31st March 2007 at a house converted into bedsits on Hampden Road, North London.

Previous to the sentencing at Wood Green Crown Court on 12th June 2009, Michael de Havilland and Sally Fox of Muswell Hill had pleaded guilty to several breaches of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. These breaches included:

• Inadequate fire detection systems;
• A lack of proper fire doors for bedrooms or the communal kitchen;
• No emergency lighting in the building’s stairway;
• A lack of fire fighting equipment i.e. fire extinguisher / fire blankets;
• No fire risk assessment available for inspection.

A further inspection was arranged where an enforcement notice was issued, explaining that the breaches needed to be dealt with. But after further contact with the co-owners and further inspections over a number of months, inspecting officers found that no remedial work had been completed.

"This is our second prosecution resulting in a custodial sentence and again sends out a strong message to landlords and building owners," said Brian Coleman, chairman of the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority. "Our role is to keep Londoners safe, and where we see that you are not taking your legal fire safety responsibilities seriously, we will take action."

Coroner Warns of Hotel Fire Risks as Penhallow Inquest Returns Open Verdict

In 2007, a fire at the Penhallow Hotel in Newquay took three lives. The coroner leading this inquest, has warned of a risk of further deaths and calls for government support for hotels and guest houses to invest in fire safety to ensure compliance with the law.

The comments were made by Dr Emma Carlyon at the conclusion of the inquest in Truro, when she directed the jury to return an open verdict.

She said: "I... intend to write to the minister for tourism to highlight to her the concerns raised by those at the inquest about the change in fire legislation and to self regulation in 2006 and the risks of future deaths, in particular of hotels and guesthouses, if sufficient measures are not provided to support the investment in fire safety or to ensure compliance."

Dr Carolyn reminded the owners of hotels and guesthouses that they are the only ones responsible for complying with the provisions of the Fire Safety Order, particularly regarding regular fire risk assessments and taking general fire precautions.

Investigators were unable to clarify how the fire at the Penhallow Hotel began, however there was evidence to suggest that the fire started from a naked flame.

Four people who were previously arrested in connection with the investigation into the fire last year have been released without charge.

Detective chief inspector Darren Lockley, speaking after the verdict said that the speed and spread of the fire was exceptional. "The inquest goes some way to explaining the tragic loss of lives; however we now wish to appeal for any information that will enable the families to fully understand what happened."

A statement on behalf of the bereaved families said they were satisfied with the evidence that had been given at the inquest but were disappointed with the open verdict.

Shell Pays Record £345,000 FSO Fine

Shell International Ltd. has been fined a record £300,000 and ordered to pay costs of £45,000 after pleading guilty to three breaches of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order at the Inner London Crown Court on 2nd June 2009. This is the largest penalty under the legislation to date.

The company was prosecuted by the London Fire Brigade following two small fires at the Shell Centre on London's South Bank in the space of three weeks.

A subsequent inspection on 12th January 2007 concluded that there were extensive breaches such as blocked escape routes and fire exits, defective doors and excessive fire loading, which had been considerably increased due to refurbishments taking place in the upper floors.

The Shell Tower and basement levels were restricted after the London Fire Brigade served a prohibition notice. This stated only people who were working to remedy the fire safety deficiencies were allowed to enter these parts of the building. An inspection carried out on 15th January 2007 showed that all of the fire safety failings had been taken care of and ultimately the prohibition notice was lifted.

It was also found that the company’s fire risk assessment had not been reviewed or updated since March 2003. The London Fire Brigade said that the condition of the general fire precautions in the building had deteriorated.

"Shell failed to respond properly to their risk assessment for three and a half years and had it not been for the fires which led to the inspection, it could have been considerably longer," said assistant commissioner Steve Turek. "Had Shell acted upon the findings of the 2003 risk assessment at the time, they would have avoided putting their staff at risk."

The first of the fires was on 19th December 2006 in the early hours of the morning, in which four fire engines and 20 fire fighters attended the scene. The second occurred on 5th January 2007, which was started by cutting equipment setting fire to insulation material. Forty people evacuated the building before the London Fire Brigade arrived.

London fire commissioner, Ron Dobson, said: "This conviction shows that major companies are not exempt from prosecution and must take their responsibilities under the RRO seriously."
Commenting in response to the conviction, a spokesperson for Shell said: "We are sorry for the shortcomings but must emphasise there were no injuries to people. We put things right immediately and have also had an independent review of our fire safety plans and condition of the building. Shell Centre is safe and we are complying fully with the law."

Fire Chiefs Attack Anti-Sprinkler Moves

Fire chiefs in America have responded angrily to what they see as orchestrated lobbying backed by house building companies to introduce anti-sprinkler legislation across 15 states.

The proposed legislation is designed to prohibit communities from requiring residential sprinklers in all new homes. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), approximately 80% of all fires occur in homes, but when sprinklers are present the chances of dying in them decrease by about 80%. The NFPA says it has no record of a multiple fatality fire in a sprinklered building where the system operated.

"Anti-sprinkler proponents are attempting to deny local jurisdictions the right to decide on critical safety code provisions and if successful, they will put fire fighters and the public at risk," said International Association of Fire Chiefs president, Larry J. Grorud. "These anti-sprinkler bills will set a dangerous precedent."

Chief Grorud went on to say there are now bills in approximately 15 states that ignore the well established, life-safety benefit of sprinklers and if passed, will take away a real opportunity to enhance public and fire fighter safety.

President of the National Association of State Fire Marshals. Alan R Shuman, added: "Now is not the time to backslide on fire and life safety. It is important to move this technology forward with the adoption of sprinkler provisions from the model codes into state and local codes, in order to bring this added level of safety to all citizens."

New Guide to Furniture Fire Safety Regulations

The Furniture Industry Research Association (FIRA) has issued a new guide to the regulations on the fire safety of furniture and furnishings, which will be available to freely download from the FIRA website.

The guide, compiled by FIRA’s flammability specialists, members of the British Furniture Confederation (BFC) and other industry experts covers the flammability requirements for all upholstered domestic products such as:

• Sofas
• Armchairs
• Beds
• Mattresses and mattress toppers
• Outdoor furniture

The guide provides advice on the requirements for manufacturers of fabrics and foams, as well as the manufacturer or retailer of the final product.

According to government research, it is estimated that the furniture regulations have saved between 710 and 1860 lives and avoided thousands of injuries in the first 10 years of their implementation.

The guide details clarifications and updates on new technology, includes a FAQ section along with sections on individual products. Also included within the guide are summaries of the regulations, current practices and changes in the industry, reasons for misinterpretation of the regulations and outlines of the responsibilities of different organisations throughout the supply chain.

Martin Jourdan, chairman of the BFC, said: "It's become clear to us that after many years of living with the UK's complex regulations on flammability, companies still need expert help and advice in understanding and complying with these regulations, and we hope that this updated guide will help clarify the many aspects of this subject."

UK fire losses at an all-time high

The cost of fire damage in the UK rose by 16% last year to a record £1.3bn, according to new figures from the Association of British Insurers.

Commercial fire damage cost £865m, up 15% on the previous year. School fires alone cost £33m, with a serious school fire occurring, on average, every month. Fire damage to homes cost £408m, up 17% on the previous year.

There has been a particular increase in what are termed large loss fires (those over £500,000) and the ABI says it is researching the causes of this increase. While it says that both fraudulent arson and arson generally are factors, it is nor ruling out other factors such as modern materials used in construction.

"These are alarming figures," said Nick Starling, the ABI's director of general insurance and health. "They highlight both the importance of fire insurance, and reducing and managing the fire risk."

He linked the record figures with the economic downturn which started last year, and warned that businesses and homeowners are being hit by an increasing fire threat. "We know that arson tends to increase during an economic downturn. Insurers are reporting a rise in large-scale fires that are increasingly putting lives at risk. We believe that arson and fraud are contributing factors. We are investigating this worrying trend and will be publishing our recommendations for tackling the problem later this year."