25 Feb 2013
Firefighters spent around eight hours fighting a huge fire at a pharmaceutical testing facility in Derbyshire.
Over 100 firefighters tackled the blaze at International Laboratory Services Limited (ILSL), with around 21 fire appliances and seven specialist vehicles in attendance.
The fire, which broke out on the morning of 20 February, started in one of the laboratories before spreading to two other adjacent buildings, Gavin Tomlinson, area manager of Derbyshire Fire and Rescue said.
When the fire service arrived at the scene, after responding to a call at 01.18 GMT, they found two labs and part of the roof alight.
Despite the number of firefighters in attendance, it took them around eight hours to extinguish the blaze because of the difficult nature of the building.
According to a BBC report one of the laboratories is now unusable and the building has suffered extensive damage.
The cause of the fire is being investigated, but it is not thought to have been started deliberately.
All commercial properties and workplaces, including public houses, in England and Wales must have a ‘suitable and sufficient’ fire risk assessment carried out under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. If the assessment is thought to have been carried out to an insufficient extent, the Responsible Person can face an unlimited fine or up to two years in prison.
Copyright Press Association 2013