Friday 12 October 2012


Scottish fire deaths up 10% despite fall in house fires



Provisional figures from the Scottish Government have shown an increase in fire deaths, despite a 17% reduction in the total number of fires.
Figures for 2011-12 show that there were 57 fatalities, an increase of 5 on the previous year. The total number of fires fell to 32,204, down from 38,970 in 2010-11.
Primary fires – that is all fires in non-derelict buildings and outdoor structures, fires involving casualties or rescues or any fires with more than five appliances in attendance – account for 39% of fires, with the remaining 58% being classed as secondary fires.
The figures were compiled by Scotland’s chief statistician and the news that fatalities in Scotland has risen in the last financial year is likely to cause concern as the Scottish Government continue preparations for the establishment of a single Scottish Fire Service.
However the figure of 57 is still the third lowest of the last ten years.
The leading cause of fatal fires was smoking materials with 21 of the 47 deaths (45%) in accidental dwelling fires as a result of ‘smokers’ materials and matches’.
Accidental dwelling fires overall were down to a ten year low of 5,116 with 17% as a result of impairment due to suspected alcohol and/or drugs use.
Roseanna Cunningam, community safety minister, said: "It is thanks to the work of fire and rescue services - which I have seen fantastic examples of in schools, workplaces and communities - that house fires are continuing to decrease across Scotland and lives are being saved.
"It is a tragedy however that lives continue to be lost to fire every year. Every death is devastating and underlines that we all need to be on our guard against the risks.
"Once again, alcohol and/or drugs were suspected to have been a factor in at least one in six accidental house fires.
"Although other key figures in this publication indicate an improving awareness of the danger of fire in our homes, this underlines that a link remains between alcohol, drug use and fire.”

Higher casualty rate than England and Wales

Overall, the figures show that despite some encouraging signs, including the reduction in number of accidental house fires, the rate of fatal casualties per million remains higher than in England and Wales.
Rate of fatal fire casualties per million populationImage copyright Scottish Government
Although the 2011-12 figures for England and Wales are not yet available, the rate of fatal fire deaths per million in 2010-11 was 10 in Scotland, compared to 6.3 and 7 in England and Wales.
Scottish residents are being reminded of the dangers of smoking, and of drugs and alcohol, as well as the importance of ensuring a working smoke alarm is present.
A shocking 34% of house fires in 2011-12 had no smoke alarm present, and a further 13% had a non-functioning alarm.
Ms. Cunningham added: "The most important message we can give is not to be complacent and always be on your guard. We also urge you to get a smoke alarm and check it regularly to ensure it is in working order."
From info4fire.

Fire law failings sees prosecutions rise

And in England
Forty percent of businesses are failing to conduct fire risk assessments in accordance with legislation implemented three years ago, warns Aviva Risk Management Solutions (ARMS).
Based on this unsatisfactory level of compliance with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, Fire and Rescue Services have issued businesses with 34,500 informal notifications, 3,200 enforcement notices, 442 prohibition notices and 84 alterations notices.
And fire authorities prosecuted 43 per cent more organisations last year for failing to comply with any part of the order.
Andrew Couch, health and safety consultant for ARMS, said: “Though fire service audits increased 20 per cent last year and the number of enforcement notices has fallen, satisfactory compliance rates have remained virtually unchanged in the past two years³.
“As the figures show, this is not going unnoticed by the authorities and is leading to enforcement action. And an increased level of audit activity focusing more on higher risk premises such as care homes, hotels and hospitals will bring more and more firms under the spotlight.”
Successful prosecutions can lead to significant fines. Last November, the high street fashion chain, New Look was fined £400,000 for fire safety breaches at a London branch*.
To help small businesses comply with legislation, ARMS has launched a service in which its risk assessors will conduct fire assessments on a firm’s behalf, producing formal documentation, identifying fire risks and providing evidence that the requirements of the RRO have been fulfilled.
If shortfalls are identified, risk assessors will advise businesses on how fire risks can be improved. This will include details of relevant preferred supplier solutions at competitive prices.
Couch continues: “Often businesses tell us that they either don’t have the time, don’t know where to begin when it comes to fire safety, or they need additional support and advice from someone who knows what they are talking about.
“But failing in the basic responsibilities of completing fire risk assessments means that firms are not only breaking the law but also not managing the hazards on their premises.
“The use of risk assessors to conduct health and safety consultations is a cost effective way to bring in the necessary expertise to ensure fire safety. It can be a useful business strategy until businesses are in a position to appoint their own suitably qualified employee to conduct fire assessments.”
The risk assessment will include a fire safety policy, which identifies fire risks such as combustible or flammable materials and incorporates procedures for evacuation, as well as making recommendations to improve fire risks.

Propane torch used to cook a squirrel may have started this fire


It could only happen in the USA….Couldn’t it?
Holland Township fire-fighters battle a blaze at the Clearview Apartment complex Wednesday afternoon in Holland, Michigan. Fire Chief Jim Kohsel says a person using a propane torch in preparing to eat a squirrel may have sparked the fire. Kohsel says eight apartments were destroyed and others damaged.


Anti-drugs campaigner rescued from 'suspicious' early morning blaze


A fire that drove an anti-drugs campaigner from his Dundee home is being treated as suspicious after a probe by police and fire services.
Ian Connelly, 53, and his dog were rescued from the property at Finavon Terrace in the city's Fintry area around 4am on Thursday.
Mr Connelly has been vocal in his condemnation of local drug dealers since the death of his 23-year-old son Liam Connelly in 2010.
It is understood Liam was under the influence of mephedrone, known as "bubbles", when he walked into the path of a lorry on the busy A90, which links Dundee with Aberdeen.
Neighbours raised the alarm on Thursday morning and when firefighters arrived they found a blaze in the property's living room.
Mr Connelly was asleep upstairs and had to be assisted to safety along with his dog. He was uninjured in the incident.
Tayside Fire and Rescue Service and Tayside Police launched a joint investigation into the fire. That probe concluded that the circumstances surrounding the blaze were suspicious.
A spokesman for Tayside Police said: "Tayside Police can confirm that, following the conclusion of the joint investigation, the fire at a house in Dundee's Finavon Terrace this morning is being treated as suspicious.
"Tayside Police and Tayside Fire and Rescue who carried out the investigation, attended the scene at around 4am this morning, and found a 53-year-old man within. The fire was quickly extinguished and the occupier was assisted from the building, fortunately uninjured. However, the consequences could have been far worse.
"Officers are urging anyone who has information that could assist them with their enquiries, including anyone who saw or heard suspicious activity or persons in the area at the time to contact Tayside Police on 0300 111 2222."
From STV

Thursday 4 October 2012

Fire door bodies sound the alarm on fire safety law compliance



Two fire safety organisations in the construction industry have raised urgent concerns with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) as part of the Government’s review of enforcement of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order, commonly known as the RRO.

BIS is currently gathering people’s views and experiences of working with fire safety officers and local fire and rescue authorities where this affects the day-to-day running of businesses, particularly those with 250 or fewer employees. It is also interested to find out where companies get advice on fire safety compliance.

The BWF-CERTIFIRE Fire Door and Doorset Scheme and the UK’s new Fire Door Inspection Scheme (FDIS) have both written to BIS to warn of confusion and alarmingly low levels of awareness among many businesses of their responsibilities under the RRO and the crucial impact of fire doors on protecting life and property.

Peter Johnson, chairman of the BWF-CERTIFIRE Scheme, said:
“In almost every prosecution and report relating to the RRO, the lack of understanding of the role and use of fire doors is evident. Just this month we saw the prosecution of a Bideford hotel for malfunctioning fire doors, including reports from guests of a terrifying moment in May when fire raged through the hotel and they became trapped in smoke-filled corridors because a door had jammed shut and another had no door handle. Similar reports of fire door failures crop up on a weekly basis.

“Too often the wrong product is being specified and installed. A fire door is not a homogeneous thing, and it only functions properly when installed correctly with all the right components. People really need to understand the difference between a so-called 'tested product', a product with a certificate, and proper third-party, independently certificated fire doors. Only the latter gives any guarantee of performance.

“We have told BIS that it is essential that building contractors, too often pressurised into ‘value engineered’ specifications, are fully aware of the implications of not choosing a third-party certified fire door and the consequences this may have for those occupying the building. The BWF-CERTIFIRE Scheme will happily provide training and support to any organisation that needs more advice on this aspect of fire safety compliance.”

Of course, once the correct fire doors are installed in any building, the challenge then becomes their effective inspection, maintenance and replacement. This is another area where building owners can fall foul of the RRO, warns Gary Amer, spokesperson for the UK’s new Fire Door Inspection Scheme (FDIS):

“We have an ever-growing dossier of cases where fire doors are no longer compliant, have been badly damaged or simply never given any attention since they were first installed.

“We are also concerned about unclear advice and inconsistent rulings on the RRO which can lead some building owners to believe they do not need to worry about the state of their fire doors if sprinklers or other measures are in place.

“However, FDIS has written to Government to alert them to a solution to some of their problems regarding enforcement of the RRO. We now have Europe’s first fire door inspection scheme set up here in the UK and available to train and qualify fire safety professionals. This autumn we will also be launching a register of fully qualified, independently assessed FDIS inspectors who can help businesses in meeting their obligations.

“This is a classic example of an industry-led initiative which will help support official RRO enforcement options and will create a body of expertise here in the UK.”
 
From MOE.

Pop star Duffy saves her cats and dog as blaze rips through her £12m flat

- Cats and dog come before possessions as singer flees fire

Penthouse flat: Fire broke out (PICTURE BY: NIGEL HOWARD)
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Penthouse flat: Fire broke out (PICTURE BY: NIGEL HOWARD)

It's a question often asked in celebrity interviews — if fire was engulfing your home, what would you rescue first?
Welsh singer Duffy, 28, can now answer from experience: her pets.
She was forced to flee her £12 million home in Kensington last night after a blaze broke out in the loft-style apartment.
Ignoring possessions — it’s not known whether her Grammy award and three Brits were stored there , her only thought was for her two cats and a dog.
Neighbours said the Smoke Without Fire singer appeared dazed as she was led from the penthouse, which is on the ninth and 10th floors.
While she managed to rescue the dog and one cat, another called Felix disappeared in the chaos and Duffy was seen crying out: “Where’s my cat? Come on, come here.”
Neighbour Maria McLeod. 47, gave the singer coffee after she fled the blaze but didn’t realise who she was at the time. She said: “I gave her a cup of coffee and she said her cleaner was there and needed some too. She was lovely, just in shock.
“I asked her what had happened. She said ‘that’s my flat!’ kind of half-laughing in shock.
“She said that when she left the flat she had to shout ‘Felix this is your last chance!’ She thought they would have to leave him there.
“I just felt sorry for her.”
Rassa Borghei, 58, who lives on the fifth floor, said: “She was running about all over the place. When the police arrived they calmed her.” A friend eventually found the cat hiding under a white van and after being reunited with her owner, the two were driven away in a black Mercedes just before 10pm.
More than 20 other residents in the block weren’t so lucky — they had to spend the night in a nearby rescue centre after being told to evacuate their flats.
While Duffy’s cats escaped without injury, neighbours say the singer also had pet goldfish. Their fate is unknown. More than 60 firefighters battled for six hours to put out the fire, which started just before 7pm, and crews were continuing to dampen down the building this morning. An investigation has been launched.
The rented apartment has its own swimming pool, cinema and two outdoor terraces. Duffy was due to leave the property in the next few days.
The fire comes just as the singer, whose full name is Aimee Ann Duffy, was beginning to make her first tentative steps back into the music world. She rocketed to fame in 2008 with her debut album Rockferry which sold 1.6 million copies but her second album, Endlessly, had disappointing sales and last year her record company announced she was taking an extended break.
A former manager is suing her for breach of contract and last May she split up with Welsh international rugby star Mike Phillips.
It is thought she had recently returned to the recording studio and was due to perform in the United Arab Emirates this month.

From LonEvening Standard

Dumfries & Galloway Home Smoke Alarms require to be Tested.



Dumfries and Galloway smoke alarm failure checks urged

Home owners in Dumfries and Galloway have been urged to check their smoke alarms are working.

The warning came after it emerged the region had the highest rate of fire-damaged homes in Scotland where smoke alarms failed to go off.

Figures for the past 12 months showed the detectors did not work in 32 of the 106 house fires in the region.

Jim Waugh of Dumfries and Galloway Fire and Rescue said some had not been close enough to the fire to be activated.

However, he said that on other occasions the alarms had been faulty or the batteries removed or flat.

He said householders should take a few seconds to check that their detectors were working properly.

"We are pleased with the number of smoke alarms that we have fitted in houses and that are detecting fires," he said.

"We appreciate everybody has busy lives but it only takes about 10 seconds to check a smoke alarm on a weekly or fortnightly basis

"We would encourage householders to do that and make sure that they do have a working smoke alarm because they do save lives."

From BBC Scotland

Monday 1 October 2012



A Fire Plan for Your Home

The numbers of fires in Commercial Properties  in Scotland continue to decrease. This may be attributed to Fire Risk Assessments being carried out on these premises. Unfortunately, the numbers of fires in domestic properties are not decreasing and deaths in the home are all too frequent.

 Because the majority of these fires occur in the home, it’s of vital importance that every family has a fire evacuation plan in place. While no homeowner wants to consider the possibility of losing everything they’ve worked so hard to acquire, ensuring that you and your children are armed with the information you need to survive a house fire could mean the difference between an unfortunate event and a truly tragic one.
Prepare
Making sure that you have taken the proper precautionary measures as a matter of routine maintenance can make a huge difference in situations where every moment matters. Making sure that your home is stocked with the proper equipment is the first step to planning your evacuation route and fire safety plan.
  • Smoke Alarms –Your home should be equipped with smoke alarms on every floor and outside of every bedroom to ensure that each member of the family can hear the alarm clearly enough to awaken from a sound sleep, should it go off. The batteries in your smoke alarms should be changed when you reset your clocks for daylight savings time, or more frequently if they begin to emit the chirping noise that indicates low battery power.
  • Fire Extinguishers – You should place a fire extinguisher on every floor, including one in the kitchen where cooking fires can quickly get out of control. Upstairs extinguishers should be kept in central locations for ease of access. As an extra precaution, keeping a fire extinguisher near any sources of heat, such as a fireplace or an outdoor fire pit/ b-b-q, is wise.
  • Emergency Escape Ladders – Houses with more than one level and bedrooms on upper floors should be equipped with an emergency escape ladder in each of those bedrooms. Children should be instructed on the proper use of such ladders when they’re old enough to manage them without assistance.
Plan
Making a plan of action for your family to adhere to in the event of a fire can be a difficult task for many reasons, not least of which is a simple reluctance to consider the possibility of losing everything you own in a blaze. Making that plan, however, could very well mean the difference between your family making it out of a burning home intact, or suffering a devastating loss.
  • Pick a Meeting Point – For any disaster, natural or otherwise, your family should have a designated meeting point for everyone to converge, should you become separated. Make sure that your children know where to go after they escape from a house fire or other catastrophe, and how to reach that point on their own.
  • Choose an Emergency Contact – Choosing an emergency contact, such as a close friend or a member of your extended family, for your children and spouse to call in the event of a fire that leaves you separated can help each member of your family determine that everyone made a successful escape if you’re unable to reach the designated meeting point.
  • Determine the Quickest Exit from Each Bedroom – Because older members of the family will almost certainly attempt to assist the younger ones, it’s important that everyone in your family knows the quickest and safest exit from each bedroom in the house.
  • Teach Children More Than One Route – Ideally, your children will be accompanied by an adult as they escape a burning house. Unforeseen events, however, can leave them to make the trek alone. Because of this, it’s imperative that you teach your children how to safely evacuate your home by themselves, and how to choose the best route to do so.
Practice
After your evacuation route is decided upon and memorized by everyone in the family, it’s wise to periodically practice your fire evacuation plan by staging regular drills. During these drills, covering the basics of concepts such as “Stop, Drop, and Roll” is advised. Kids should learn how to stay low on the ground to avoid excessive smoke inhalation, to test doorknobs for blistering heat before grasping them, and to close doors behind them as they move from room to room to slow the spread of fire.

This has been adapted from Jeralyn Nelson, Housesittingjobs.com