Fire service ‘will not hesitate’ to prosecute failing safety assessors
CHIEF SPEAKS AFTER FORMER FIREFIGHTER UP IN COURT
A FIRE chief has spoken out to reassure the public after a retired firefighter appeared in court charged in connection with the case of a landlord prosecuted for a string of safety breaches.
Martin Ballard, a self-employed fire assessor and a former employee of the Leicestershire service, failed to identify serious safety issues when he carried out a risk assessment for Manjit Dulay at St Clements Court, in New Parks, Leicester.
The work of Ballard, 60, of Rosslyn Road, Whitwick, was so poor he was charged with four counts of breaching fire safety regulations himself when he appeared in Leicester Crown Court alongside Dulay.
Ballard was given a £1,600 fine and ordered to pay £7,864 in costs.
Andy Clarke, manager of fire protection at the service, said: “These failings had the potential to put the lives of residents in this premises at risk of death or serious injury.
“Fire risk assessments play a pivotal part in determining the fire safety measures and strategy for any building, and is a task that only people with suitable training and should undertake.” Although Ballard had served for over 30 years, he had no formal training in providing fire risk assessments, and had very limited experience.
“This sentence should act as a warning to all fire risk assessors, that we will take these matters extremely seriously,” Mr Clarke said.
“We will not hesitate to take experience action where inadequate fire risk assessments put people at risk.
“Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service is prepared to work with those responsible for safety, to help them achieve compliance with standards.”
The court heard Dulay, who owns St Clement’s Court, which has more than 70 flats, was first informed in 2014 that urgent improvements were needed to raise fire safety standards at the site.
Problems discovered during repeated inspections included a non-functioning fire alarm system, useless smoke detectors, unsuitable fire escape routes and a broken emergency air venting system.
An enforcement issued in April 2016.
Leicester Crown Court also heard a more thorough assessment by firefighters in 2017 found recurring problems and new ones.
Dulay hired an online company to do a fire risk assessment for £400 but did not inform it of the enforcement notice or the scale of problems.
This was the assessment carried out by Ballard.
Amid concern from residents, Dulay was prosecuted and pleaded guilty to six counts of risking people’s death or injury by breaching fire regulations.
He was given a 12-month prison sentence, suspended for 24 months, and ordered to pay an £80,000 fine plus £66,418 in costs. notice was