22 Jul 2013
Two nightclubs in Bradford city centre have failed fire safety inspections following a crackdown in response to a tragedy in Brazil.
The West Yorkshire Fire Service inspected 12 venues in the city, and NV on Great Horton Road and Chronicle on Barry Street were found to have safety issues.
NV had a faulty fire alarm but the premises was allowed to stay open after interim measures were put in place and a new automatic alarm system was installed the day after the inspection on July 7.
Meanwhile, Chronicle received a prohibition notice due to two fire exits being unsatisfactory. Until improvements are made, only the ground floor of the venue is allowed to be used.
Officers carrying out the inspections were looking for issues such as faulty fire alarms, overcrowding and blocked exists, which are all problems that could endanger lives should a fire occur.
A countywide initiative saw nearly 100 venues inspected. It was initiated in reaction to the nightclub disaster in the Brazilian city of Santa Maria when 233 were killed after a fire hit a popular venue.
In a bid to remove potential fire hazards, commercial buildings and non-domestic premises in England and Wales are already forced to undertake a “suitable and sufficient” fire risk assessment carried out under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
Copyright Press Association 2013