19 Nov 2012
A commercial property leaseholder in Greater Manchester has been fined after fire protection officers found a number of safety failings that could have resulted in serious injuries or even death.
The building on Bury Old Road, Salford, was used by Waseem Abbas as a mobile phone shop, internet cafe and television and radio station.
When the officers visited the premises in December 2011 they found that the building’s only staircase, leading to the first and second floors, was blocked by combustible items.
There were also no fire doors on the staircase and it led into the main shop, rather than a place of safety.
The top floors contained a workshop, office, storage area and rented studios, where workers would have been trapped in the event of a fire on the ground floor.
The leaseholder admitted to six offences under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, including failure to install a fire alarm and failure to carry out a fire risk assessment.
He was fined £3,600 and ordered to pay £1,000 in costs.
He also said he would not use the building’s upper two floors until he had gained permission to install a fire escape.
Copyright Press Association 2012