Licensed venues urged to tighten up on fire safety

The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health’s (IOSH) Fire Risk Management Group gathered this week in Birmingham, to discuss how accidents were ‘waiting to happen’ in some licensed premises in the area. During the event, IOSH also urged pub, bar, club, restaurant and hotel businesses to ask for advice on how to protect their staff, customers and premises against the risk of fire. Paul Graham, IOSH Fire Risk Management Group chair, said: “We know that many businesses feel that fire safety is a daunting task, but we’re finding there are accidents just waiting to happen in many licensed premises. “Any business needs a proper fire risk assessment. What makes a good fire strategy even more essential for licensed businesses is the crowds they often need to manage - the most important thing is to be able to get people out quickly and safely. The human, financial and reputational costs of dealing with the ramifications of a serious fire far outweigh the cost of robust fire safety management.” IOSH also called for proper training and supervision for people with responsibility for fire safety and urged businesses, where necessary, to seek advice from properly qualified professionals. West Midlands Fire Service fire safety inspector, Graham Homer, spoke at the event and said: “The consequences of fire can be devastating and as well as the overriding risk to life, businesses also face the prospect of losing their livelihoods if their premises go up in flames. During the event, fire safety experts were reminded of several fires in restaurants, pubs and clubs in and around Birmingham

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