Vuln!! Path it now!!

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Vuln!! Path it now!!

Vuln!! Path it now!!<br />

Two London Shop Fires, one in Wallington and one in Harrow emphasises how important Fire Safety is and the need for a Fire Safety Risk Assessment!

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Two recent Shop Fires in London emphasises the importance of regular Fire Safety checks!

The Wallington Shop Fire caused damaged to the Ground Floor area and to the Shop ducting, whereas the Leyton Shop Fire spread and damaged a 5 roomed Flat on the First Floor! More information can be found on the London Fire Brigade incidents page click here

All commercial Shops should have a Fire Safety Risk Assessment for their London premise and it should be kept current.

London Fire Risk Assessments offer a range of Fire Safety Risk Assessments packages to suit all needs just check out the ‘Standard’, ‘Plus’ or ‘Dual’ package – the ‘Dual’ package is the most cost effective solution if you require a Health & Safety Risk Assessment for your Shop too!

Because London Fire Risk Assessments are completely independent of any Fire Safety Equipment supplier you can be sure that their advice is unbiased. They don’t have any hidden extras and they don’t try and up sell – they simply want to provide customers with a ‘suitable and sufficient’ Fire Safety Risk Assessment that will help make your Shop safe from Fire!

If you would like to talk to one of their friendly team just call – their advice is free and so are their Quotations! Call now on 01689 890879 or click here to request a call back.

 

 

 

 

Diary of a Risk Assessor – March

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I was asked to “take over” a telephone call that came into our Office last week.

A nice French Woman who had been renting her London House to Groups of Students for the last couple of years had renewed her House Insurance, via a Telephone Call to a different Insurance Company, having become disillusioned with the previous one. The person on the other end of the line had taken some of her personal details and then had paused and advised her that the call was being taped, for, “training purposes and reference.”   Up until then the whole process had been casual and friendly, but she felt that the whole tone had changed as the person on the other end of the line told her that he would be asking a series of questions and said,

“It will help if you just give me a Yes or No answer.”

Because of the change in tone and a bad experience with the previous Insurance Company, the Woman concentrated on the questions and even more to her answers. She felt as if she was being unnecessarily cautious and then she was asked,

“Do you intend to meet all of the Legislative Requirements in regards to renting your property on a Commercial basis?”

“I don’t understand.” She said. “What do you mean?”

“I’m sorry.” The person on the other end of the line said, “Let me go through that again. Do you intend to meet all of the Legislative Requirements in regards to renting your property on a Commercial basis?”

“Are you talking about declaring the earnings?”

“And the other requirements in regards to renting your property on a Commercial basis.”

“Are you talking about those with Fire?”

“Yes, all Legislative Requirements.” The man said in exactly the same tone.

“Are you referring to one of those Fire Risk Assessments, as I am not sure that I need that?”

There was a silence from the person on the other end of the line before he said,

“Could I suggest that you research exactly what the Legislative Requirements are before we continue…”

“And so I hung up and called you.” She told me. “So I suppose I need a Fire Risk Assessment, Yes?”

“Yes you do.”

“So why didn’t he just tell me?”

Perhaps it’s more financially beneficial for the Insurance Company to speak in generalisations and not identifying the specifics of Insurance requirements until they do so in reply to a claim. But I only said that as an internal monologue and said to her,

“Tell me again the address of your property, Post Code, number of Bedrooms, Habitable rooms, Garden……………..”

If you need to talk through your Fire Safety responsibilities then call London Fire Risk Assessments on 01689 890879 or click here

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Airbnb Hosts and all London Holiday Let owners the summer season is fast approaching so have you an up to date Fire Risk Assessment – it’s the Law you know!

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With the holiday season fast approaching, time for all London Airbnb ‘Hosts’ and London Holiday Let owners to double check that they are meeting Fire Safety Regulations!

It is so easy to get caught up in ensuring that the Holiday accommodation is looking at it’s best with a fresh coat of paint and soft furnishings that ‘Hosts’ and Holiday Let owners can easily forget that they must have a Fire Risk Assessment in place!

Fire Safety is of paramount importance and it is up to you as the ‘Responsible Person’ to ensure that your guests are safe!

To satisfy the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 you must have a ‘suitable and sufficient’ Fire Risk Assessment carried out by a competent person.

The Fire Risk Assessment will identify any Fire Safety deficiencies, it will tell you what to do to put it right, who is responsible and a timescale to do it in!

So book your appointment now so you have time to get your Fire Safety Actions completed before you start getting your bookings!

You will also satisfy you insurance requirements and the law!

Call London Fire Risk Assessments on 01689 890879 or click here to book your Fire Safety Inspection.

 

 

 

DIARY OF A FIRE RISK ASSESSOR – FEBRUARY 2019

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Had an interesting visit last week after a nice couple Glenn & Debbie Hall had contacted the Office and asked if they needed a Fire Risk Assessment carried out on their “Garden Room” in Sunbury on Thames which they had just started to “rent out” through Airb&b.

So, there I was, sitting in the last of the sunshine, looking at the swans glide past in this idyllic backwater of the River Thames and explaining that ‘yes’, they most certainly do!

Back when the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 was instigated and Mr Sadiq Khan was the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State Communities and Local Government his Department issued a Guidance Document entitled HM Government…Do you have paying guests?

This identified that the Law in regards to Fire Safety applies to guest accommodation in small premises, such as B&Bs, Guest houses, Farmhouses, Inns and Restaurants with rooms, Self-catering accommodation, such as Houses, Cottages, Chalets, Fats and holiday Caravans and Hostels and small Bunkhouses and therefore also this self-contained “Garden Room.”  If you have any paying guests, even in your own home, you must comply with the law on Fire Safety.

“A Fire in a Small premise is just as dangerous as one in a larger property.”

“Nearly all of the people who die in Fires in this Country are trapped in domestic premises.”

I explained that the law introduced in October 2006 – known as the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, made them responsible for taking steps to protect Guests from the risk of Fire and the foundation of this was to carry out a Fire Risk Assessment and, where necessary improve the Fire Safety measures and keep them under review.

The nice Gentleman Glenn said “But up until recent events, I hadn’t even heard of a Fire Risk Assessment and now you’re telling me that I’m breaking the Law if I don’t get one!” I did sympathise but what could I say other than, “Didn’t your Mortgage Company tell you when you took out your Mortgage? “No.”

“And your Insurance Company didn’t tell you when you took out your Insurance?” “No, they didn’t.” He said with the same exasperation I had seen several times before. “I am certainly going to take it up with them though!” He said staring at the River. “So, what happens if I don’t do an Assessment?”  “You are breaking the Law, and you could be putting people’s lives at risk.” I outlined the often repeated quote and went into my normal outline;  “The point of a Fire Risk Assessment is to reduce the risks and plan how to keep people safe if there is a Fire. If you fail to do it, you might be putting your guests, your property and your business at risk. Also, you may be inspected by the Fire Service, as part of its responsibility to enforce the law or, someone staying with you may report you to them if they feel at risk”.

“If the Fire Service visit and consider the measures you have taken or plan to take are not good enough to adequately protect people, they will give you a chance to put things right but if you fail to do this, the Fire Service may serve a ‘Notice’ on you that means you must put in place better Fire Safety measures. Ultimately, they could take legal action against you.”

Glenn took his responsibility seriously and said “Come on then, where do we start?”

I wonder how many other ‘Hosts’ on Airbnb are this responsible – perhaps Guests should check!