Supermarket feels the heat over fire safety record

01/09/2007

Co-op bosses have been fined £250,000 for flouting fire safety regulations.

The lives of staff and customers were put at risk because of breaches at six stores, a court heard yesterday.

A catalogue of faults was uncovered at the chain's outlets in Brighton, Saltdean, Seaford, Polegate, Forest Row and St Leonards.

They included:

  • No fire alarm system in the shop at St James Street, Brighton, and only two fire detectors in storage areas.
  • No fire alarm system at all was fitted at its Forrest Row branch.
  • A fire escape ladder at St Leonards that was so rusty that it could not be used.
  • No fire detection system at Saltdean and a fire escape door that had two padlocks preventing it from being opened in an emergency.
  • The cage at the bottom of the external fire stairs at Seaford had it's door locked, preventing escape.
  • A fire door meant to prevent the spread of flames was left propped open with a fire extinguisher at Polegate.

The breaches came to light after a fire at the Co-op in London Road, St Leonards, in July last year. East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service inspected the branch and decided to carry out a full audit of all 41 Co-op stores in Sussex.

As a result of what they found, the fire brigade and Brighton and Hove City Council prosecuted the Co-op for breaching fire safety regulations.

The Co-operative Society admitted 13 offences when they appeared at Brighton Magistrates Court on August 3, but magistrates were so appalled at the scale of the breaches they decided that the maximum £5,000 fine they could impose for each offence was not enough.

They questioned "the health and safety culture" at the Co-op at the time and committed it to be sentenced at Hove Crown Court where there is no upper limit on the fine available.

Gulham Hussein, prosecuting, told the court the Co-op had been fined before for breaching the regulations.

It was fined £17,500 and ordered to pay £2,600 costs after a fire at its store in Warren Way, Woodingdean, Brighton, in April last year just months before the latest offences.

Last month (Aug) it was fined £30,000 for breaching fire safety rules at its store in Bracknell, Berkshire.

Julian Woodbridge, defending, said the Co-op has reviewed its fire safety regulations. He said:

"The Society has always prided itself on never putting profits before people."

"It wants to impress on the public that health and safety is at the top of its concerns."

"There clearly has been a problem which the Society believes it has identified and has already taken steps to remedy."

Mark Hudson, the society's regional chief officer for the south east said it takes its fire safety responsibilities very seriously. He added:

"We have spent £45,000 on bringing these stores up to the required fire safety specifications."

"We will have spent £450,000 on doing so in the south east by the end of this year."

He said talks had been held with senior fire service officers in East Sussex about the improvements needed.

Judge Guy Anthony fined the Co-op £20,000 each for the 11 most serious breaches and £15,000 each for the two less serious. The Society was also ordered to pay East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service £11,167 for the cost of carrying out the safety audit.

Fire chiefs welcomed the size of the £250,000 fine and said it would help deter breaches by other employers.

Peter Cox, acting senior fire safety office for ESFRS, said:

"I am satisfied with the level of fine the judge has imposed.

"It sends a warning message to other companies that failure to comply with fire legislation is taken very seriously by the courts.

"All of these were serious offences which would potentially have put the lives of staff and customers at risk had there been a fire in any of those premises."