With health and safety and training budgets often the first to be hit UK businesses are at risk of breaking the law by not protecting their staff and premises.

Many are still unaware of the implementation of the Regulatory Reform Fire Safety Order in 2006³ or are perhaps now more than ever choosing to await inspection, warnings or worse still, disaster before taking action.

The reactive mentality is looming to help save money but at the risk of costing much more dearly in a staff member's life, business assets or through prosecution with hefty fines and even imprisonment.

PRISON PROSECUTION: In October a buy to let investor was sent to prison for failing to comply with new fire safety regulations. Mehmat Parlak was sentenced to four months imprisonment and his company, Watchacre properties limited, was fined 21,000 pounds following conviction for serious breaches of the Regulatory Reform (fire safety) Order 2005. The prosecution followed a fatal fire at a Tottenham rental flat some 13 months previously. ⁴

£10,000 FINE: A Colchester restaurateur was fined £10,000 and ordered to pay costs of £15,000 in aprosecution brought by Essex Fire Authority. Feyzullah Ozgurcu, apartner ofCrystal Restaurant in St Botolph's Street was prosecuted for five breaches of a prohibition notice served on him in relation to his business premises. ⁵

Compliance does not need to cost the earth and this common misconception often prevents precautions being implemented or even considered putting lives at risk.

It is a legal requirement for ALL organisations to provide a fire risk assessment for their premises. Training is a key requirement and can be outsourced to consultancies or provided in-house via a range of available products such as CD ROM?S and DVD?S enabling cost effective, straightforward, flexible solutions available when you need them.

Current fire safety legislation requires all employers to ensure staff have some form of fire safety training. It does not though say exactly what form that training should take, and this has led to some confusion as to what?s required. Broadly speaking, the level of training should be related to the risks posed in the workplace. If the risk is very low, like in a small office, the training can be very basic; a car maintenance workshop naturally suggests a higher risk of fire, and therefore more training would be required.

Bonus fire is currently offering 20% discount* off their Training in a Box products to help organisations to comply without breaking budgets, Training in a Box is Britain's best selling range of fire training packs. Available is a complete range for the general workplace, care homes, hospitals, hotels and more. Quick and easy to use - they are the most cost effective way to comply with current fire safety legislation. Each pack comes complete with everything you need to run a fantastic training session, right in the convenience of your own office. Simply choose your format: DVD, CD-ROM or FlipBook, and you're away! 7 day free trail period - if your not 100% happy - just send it back.

Clients include: Boeing, NHS, Rolls Royce, Kent County Council, Kimberly Clark, Specsavers, De Vere Hotels, Hilton Hotels, BUPA and 100s more

For further information and to claim your exclusive 20% discount email bonus@means-of-escape.com

*Offer expires 01/02/09

FOOTNOTES

¹ Accountants BDO Stoy Hayward said today that business failures would increase to 21,900 by the end of this year and to 32,300 in 2009. They are expected to peak at 32,400 in 2010, which would be the highest on record since the last recession of 1992 when 33,900 businesses failed. www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/dec/01/creditcrunch-construction

² It estimates that the economy will shrink by 1.7% in 2009, a dramatic downgrade from the forecast of 0.3% growth the CBI gave in September. The group added that unemployment could peak at close to 2.9 million by 2010, up from 1.8 million at present. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7732223.stm

³ In a recent fire industry poll, 73% of respondents were unaware of the implications of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. www.bonusfire.co.uk The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (FSO) came into effect in October 2006 and replaced over 70 pieces of fire safety law. www.communities.gov.uk/fire/firesafety/firesafetylaw/

⁴ www.content4reprint.com/finance/real-estate/alarm-bells-ring-over-fire-saety-rues-for-landlords.htm
www.london-fire.gov.uk/news/NewsReleases2008_210ct08.asp

⁵ www.essex-fire.gov.uk/pages/index.asp?area=4&id=81

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