Violation of Fire Safety Regulations Costs Shell a Fortune
In what is one of the biggest prosecutions under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (the RRO), a huge fine of £300,000 along with £45,000 towards costs has been imposed on Shell International Ltd. on account of severe lapses in fire safety mechanisms and grave breaches of the Order. Shell has pleaded guilty to the charges. This is the largest fine that has been imposed under the RRO till date.
The prosecution followed two minor incidents of fire in the York Road-based official centre of Shell in a span of three weeks. These fires drew the attention of the London Fire Brigade, which conducted an inspection in early 2007 and found that Shell had failed to review its own risk assessment done in 2003, which was due in 2004.
Despite the increased risks due to the refurbishment of the upper floors, the risk assessment had not been updated in the last three years. The lapses found by the 2007 inspection were similar to those pointed out in the previous assessment, which showed inaction on part of the company. The Inspecting Officers discovered that the safety doors and fire exits were not in proper condition - even the emergency escape routes were blocked. Ensure your organisation meets its responsibilities under fire safety legislation, make sure you have a fully trained person to act as a fire warden to ensure your risk is minimised.
The lapses were so grave that the London Fire Brigade was compelled to serve Shell with a prohibition notice disallowing employees as well as members of the general public from accessing the Shell tower and basement areas, till rectification of the fire safety system was completed. Only people updating the fire safety measures were allowed to enter the premises. A few days later, when another inspection found that the safety measures were in place, the prohibition was lifted.
