Landlord jailed for four months for fatal fire

01/12/2008

A London landlord has been sentenced to four months imprisonment, and his company Watchacre Properties Limited fined £21,000, after pleading guilty to a catalogue of breaches of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order.

The prosecution relates to a serious fire at a flat on Ruskin Road, Tottenham in September of last year. A tenant was rescued from the blaze by firefighters and taken to hospital, but tragically later died from his injuries.

The successful prosecution by The London Fire Brigade found Mehmat Parlak, who admitted negligence, guilty of "severe breaches" of fire safety regulations including failure to make a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks to which relevant persons were exposed, failure to provide appropriate fire detection measures and failure to ensure that persons were able to evacuate the premises as quickly and safely as possible. In all eight contraventions of the Fire Safety Order contributed to the loss of a life and the subsequent court action. Mr Parlak becomes the first person to serve a court sentence for failure to comply with the Fire Safety Order, but Brigades throughout the country are now pursuing breaches of the Order vigorously through the courts.

The company and its director, Mr Parlak, pleaded guilty to eight fire safety offences, for failing to:

  • Make a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks to which relevant persons were exposed.
  • Make and give effect to appropriate fire safety arrangements.
  • Provide appropriate firefighting equipment.
  • Provide appropriate fire detection measures - namely adequate smoke alarms in the common parts of the premises.
  • Ensure that routes to emergency exits from the premises and the exits were clear.
  • Ensure that persons were able to evacuate the premises as quickly and safely as possible (in particular, the escape route in the premises was not properly protected because an intumescent strip and cold smoke seal were missing from the top edge of a second-floor room, and combustible materials - including a washing machine, television, clothing and furniture - were stored along the exit route).
  • Ensure that there was adequate signage to indicate the emergency exit and route.
  • Establish and give effect to appropriate procedures to be followed in the event of serious and imminent fire.

 

Councillor Brian Coleman, chairman of the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority, said:

 "This fire resulted in a man dying and highlights why landlords and businesses must take their responsibilities under the Regulatory Reform Order seriously.The London Fire Brigade works hard to bring irresponsible companies and individuals to court, which can as this case has shown, result in a custodial sentence."

This case clearly highlights the potentially devastating consequences of poor compliance with current fire safety legislation, as well as illustrating the fact that those who do not take this legislation seriously will be punished for their failure to act in a responsible manner. Fire safety training and fire risk assessments can be obtained from a wide variety of sources, ensuring that no excuses remain for those who wish to avoid their statutory duty of care.