Eighty two years ago the 999 emergency services telephone number was introduced as the 1st of its kind in the world.
Thank you to all the 999 call handlers, helping those people often in their hour of dire need.
Tag: derbyshire
Facts About Fire in the UK
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In the UK annually there are approximately 200 fire-related deaths. The majority of these occur within the home between 10 pm and 6 am when people are asleep.
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There are about 37,000 house fires a year in the UK, the majority of which are caused by electrical equipment misuse, mainly cooking appliances.
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In the year to Sept 2018, 38% of battery-operated smoke alarms did not sound during a fire. The biggest cause? Missing, flat or disconnected batteries.
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You only have minutes to escape from a house fire – every second counts!
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Smoke alarms give you advance warning of fire, which results in giving you more time to react. Having a working smoke alarm has been associated with lower casualty rates and reduced damage to your home.
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With a working smoke alarm, you are 4 times more likely to survive.
Fire Risk Assessment for Sheltered Housing Project
We carried out an interesting Fire risk assessment a few weeks ago for the manager of a sheltered housing project. They had been served with an action plan notice by South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue.
The residents live independently in their own flat within the house, they have the facility to do some light cooking but are provided with all their meals in the communal dining room.
Referencing the specialist housing guide we provided a person-centered fire risk assessment which addressed the issues raised by the fire authority and helped the responsible person clearly identify how to stay compliant in the future.
As always stay safe and have a good bank holiday weekend.
Recent Landlord Prosecutions Highlight the Need for Pro-active Attitude to Fire Safety
A landlord in Colchester was found guilty of breaching HMO regulations and compromising the safety of his tenants earlier this month.
A blocked fire escape and exposed electrical wiring were some of the many breaches found.
It is the duty of all landlords to ensure safe living conditions for their tenants. Property owners should also know that prosecutions and fines occur when safe standards are not met.
Whilst all properties should be outfitted to ensure suitable fire safety for all tenants, HMO properties should also have a risk assessment conducted by a competent person to meet legal requirements.
More information on the case can be viewed here: https://www.fia.uk.com/news/fire-safety-faults-at-hmos-ends-in-fines.html
10 Things Employers Might Not Know About Fire Safety Regulations
Despite being a requirement for all workplaces, fire safety is often still sadly overlooked by many employers. There are also often many aspects that employers are not aware of, even when having undertaken measures to ensure proper fire safety in their workplace.
This useful article by firesafetylaw.co.uk highlights 10 areas that are often not known by employers regarding the regulations: http://www.firesafetylaw.co.uk/10-things-employers-might-not-know-about-fire-safety-regulations/
Retiring Fireman of 30 Years Starts Fire Safety Consultancy in Sheffield
Last Friday I handed in my uniform after 30 years service for South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue.
It was a day of mixed emotions and it’s been an interesting ride to say the least. First as a Firefighter, then a Junior Officer and finally a Fire Safety Inspecting Officer. Joining South Yorkshire County Fire and Civil Authority (as it was called back then) in 1988, as a recruit fireman was a big deal. Over 2000 applicants applied for just 16 places and I was fortunate enough to get one.
Initially, I was posted to Maltby fire station near Rotherham. I was there for four years before moving to Sheffield Central. Although Maltby had its challenges, Central Fire Station was a real eye-opener – it was far busier and a great experience.
I spent the next 9 years in and around stations in Sheffield before moving into Technical Fire Safety in 2002. This new department was a huge learning curve, but thanks to the old hands in the office, it was an excellent learning environment. Fire Safety courses at the fire service college at Moreton Marsh in Gloucestershire followed, plus numerous in-house training courses and I don’t think that there’s a day gone by where I haven’t picked up some piece of information that’s helped my day to day work. I’ve really enjoyed specialising in Fire Safety for the last 17 years of my career.
The thing I will miss most are my colleagues because, come rain or shine, they were there to give help and advice if needed – offering a snippet of information to slot the jigsaw together, making light work of what could have been a problem and I hope they felt that was reciprocated. We would all sit down for a drink at break time and lunchtime, we were the only department to do this and in this day and age is something special and unique.
I’m looking forward to working with my son, Eli, and the challenges of starting and running a business. We will be striving to make a positive impact on the people we meet, the places we go, whilst all the while aiming to enjoy ourselves in the process.
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Brendan Ingle GIFireE
Fire Safety Consultant
Ingle & Ingle Fire Safety Consultancy
Mobile: 07940 95 96 99
Email: inglefiresfety@yandex.com
Ingle & Ingle Fire Safety Consultancy 