Now fire exit signs may not be the most exciting of items, but they can save lives, and as it turns out, can save you pennies. Allow me to reveal my reasoning…
In the news this week, it’s been reported that the High Street fashion chain New Look have been fined a record-breaking (and rather chastening) £400,000 for fire safety breaches. The fines came about after there was a blaze at a branch of New Look in Oxford Street, Southwark in April 2007, and there has been an inquest into it at the Crown Court this week.
It was reported that staff ignored the smoke that was pouring out of a window to start with, and although a fire alarm sounded, it was switched off. Staff finally panicked and started to evacuate the shoppers.
The fire started in a storeroom on the second floor on 26th April 2007. A woman who was shopping in the store at the time, said that the fire alarm was only going of intermittently, and she saw no cause for alarm, as initially there were no staff around, and therefore no-one was particularly worried.
When she was eventually informed that the shop was being evacuated by a member of staff, she was left to flee the store with no supervision or direction from staff. As she ran out, she said she could hear glass breaking, and could feel the heat from the fire. The store’s windows were blown out in the fire, and customers had to duck out of the way as shards of glass fell from above.
Fortunately, all 150 people who were in the shop escaped unharmed, as did the 300 people evacuated from neighbouring premises. The shop itself was so badly damaged in the fire that it subsequently had to be demolished. According to the BBC News, the shop did not have enough fire exits, and were in breach of fire regulations.
New Look was fined £250,000 for failing to supply a ‘suitable and sufficient’ fire risk assessment for the premises, and a further £150,000 for failing to adequately train their staff in fire safety procedures. They also had to pay more than £136,000 in costs.
A cautionary tale for all business-owners out there, I feel. Simple measures like putting up fire exit signs could save lives, and avoid giant fines! Exit signs are mandated by fire regulations, to tell people the way to go to get out of the building in case of a fire. All exit routes should be clearly marked using signs that comply with the fire regulations, and the most important thing is that the signs include a symbol – writing alone is no longer acceptable.
So, for only a few pounds, you can get some signs to make sure that your office complies with the fire regulations. This is definitely cheaper than a £400,000 fine – order yours today!
