A MALVERN based restaurant director and his eatery in Ross-on-Wye have been fined thousands of pounds for breaching fire safety regulations.
SG Restaurants Ltd of Glouster Road, Ross-on-Wye and company director, Stuart Buckley of Jamaica Road, Malvern both pleaded guilty at Kidderminster Magistrates Court for failing to comply with a fire safety enforcement notice issued to their restaurant, Burger Master.
The company was fined £20,000 and Buckley was fined a further £1,000 for failing to make fire safety improvements issued by Hereford and Worcester Fire Authority.
At the hearing on Tuesday, July 25, the company was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £2,000 plus costs of £5,000 and Buckley was ordered to pay a further £3,913 in victim surcharges and costs.
Inspections at the premises by fire safety officers from Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service (HWFRS) revealed the building had inadequate fire safety management arrangements.
The restaurant had no fire risk assessment, no correctly operating fire alarm system, inadequate firefighting equipment and were inadequately testing and maintaining emergency lighting, fire alarm systems, fire doors and fire extinguishers.
And escape routes at the restaurant were not sufficiently fire resisting and there was no testing and maintenance of electrical systems either.
George Marshall, Assistant Director for Protection at HWFRS, said:
“As an enforcing body for fire safety, the Fire Authority will work with businesses to improve their fire safety compliance.
“However, as in this case, where a business fails to address serious fire safety breaches which could lead to loss of life or serious injury to employees or members of the public, the Fire Authority will ensure that these businesses are held accountable.”
Adrian Elliott, assistant chief fire officer, added: “Businesses and business owners need to be aware of their responsibilities towards Fire Safety and take them seriously.
“Ensuring your premises has a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment and proactively addressing areas to improve compliance will support keeping people safe from fire.
“Businesses should keep abreast of changes in fire safety legislation due in October 2023 which require businesses to record their completed fire risk assessment in full regardless of the number of staff they employ.”
