26 Oct 2012
Around 70% of companies in Lancashire in north-west England have failed fire safety audits in the past year, prompting Safety Management to remind firms in the county about the importance of fire safety.
Only 1,089 businesses out of 3,636 audited by Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service last year passed the checks, according to a report by independent fire expert Safety Management.
A total of 376 enforcement notices were handed out to companies that failed, detailing their non-compliance with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
This order applies to virtually all commercial premises and public buildings, and it requires property owners to carry out a fire risk assessment in order to identify any possible dangers, eliminate or minimise the risk from fire as far as reasonably possible and create a strategy to cope with any fire-related emergencies.
Although the figures only apply to businesses in Lancashire, Safety Management believes results are illustrative of the situation across the rest of the UK.
Copyright Press Association 2012