Hire company is hit with fine

01/04/2005

Chippenham tool hire company The Hire Station was fined a total of £12,000 and ordered to pay £2,062 for breaching fire safety precautions.

The company, part of a national tool hire business, was prosecuted last Tuesday at Chippenham Magistrates Court for failing to comply with an enforcement notice served by Wiltshire and Swindon Fire Authority under The Fire Precautions Workplace Regulations (as amended) 1999.

Wiltshire Fire Brigade fire safety officers carried out an inspection of the Hire Station premises at Bumpers Farm Industrial Estate after North Wiltshire District Council's environmental health department had inspected and raised concerns about the standards of fire precautions.

An enforcement notice was issued and, after the period of the notice had elapsed, two further inspections were carried out but it was clear the requirements of the notice had not been met.

The Hire Station pleaded guilty to all three charges and quoted failings at middle management level as the reason for the non-compliance.

Magistrates said they regarded the failings very serious in nature. A fine of £4,000 was imposed for each offence.