7th August 2024

Property Management Company And Director Sentenced For Fire Safety Breaches

What’s Happened?

An Ipswich-based property management company and its director have been sentenced following a recent prosecution brought by Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service.

The company manages residential premises in Ipswich where it was established that ACM cladding had been installed to the block of flats.

A fire risk assessment of the premises had been undertaken by a company appointed by the managing agent, but crucially, it did not take into account the high fire risk posed to the residents by the ACM cladding.

The fire risk assessor had apparently been given inaccurate information by the property management company in relation to the level of risk posed by the cladding. When this became apparent, the assessor invalidated the fire risk assessment he had produced before advising the management company to arrange for a new assessment to be undertaken.

However, when officers from Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service attended the premises they identified that the fire risk assessment remained that of the original company, and therefore the risk assessment still didn’t address the risk posed by the ACM cladding.

Other areas of non-compliance with the legislation were also identified during the office’s site visit. They related to ensuring the means of escape were safe, that automatic opening vents operated correctly, ensuring the premises were equipped with a suitable fire alarm system and that residents knew what to do in the event of a fire to enable them to evacuate the building safely.

In Court

The property management company and its director appeared at Ipswich Crown Court were they sentenced for a total of eight offences: four by the company for non-compliance with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and four based on the actions of the named director for failing to comply with the legislation.

The Director received a ten-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, and was also ordered to carry out 120 hours of unpaid work, whereas the Management Company was fined £60,000 plus costs of £49,500.

If you have any queries regarding fire risk assessments then don’t hesitate to contact our adviceline on 0300 303 5228 or email us at info@lighthouseriskservices.co.uk