Employee fined under Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order

A manager of the Oldfield Bank Residential Care Home in Altrincham, Greater Manchester, has been fined in relation to an incident when a fire alarm was wrongly silenced.

• In May 2009, following a fire alert at the home, the fire alarm was silenced but Sykes, the duty manager, failed to ensure that a proper search of the premises was carried out.

• A fire was discovered in one of the upstairs bedrooms at the home. This was left to develop unchecked for crucial minutes. A crew from Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service arrived to deal with the fire. It found the fire alarm in silence mode.

• The fire was almost certainly caused by a curtain coming into contact with a desk lamp lightbulb.

• Beryl West, a 78-year-old resident, died in hospital after the fire.

• By the time the fire was discovered by employees, at least 30 minutes after the alarm had sounded, Ms West, described as frail and only able to walk with assistance, was blackened by soot and suffering from the effects of smoke inhalation. She was dragged from the room by staff and taken to hospital where she dies 24 hours later.

• Medical evidence showed that she had suffered a heart attack at some point during or shortly after the incident. She had severely damaged lungs and scorched airways caused by breathing in hot smoke, with evidence of early stages of carbon monoxide poisoning. It was highly likely that she would not have died if it had not been for the fire.

The Manager was fined £500 and order to pay a victim surcharge of £15.

At an earlier hearing Christopher Morris, a fire alarm engineer, was fined £5000 plus £6000 costs in relation to the same incident.

As the manager of the care home it was the manager's responsibility for the fire alarm and evacuation. The Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service's assistant county fire officer is reported to have made the following comments after the case.

• The case clearly highlighted and enforced the message that employees had a duty to ensure the safety of people whom they were looking after.

• This type of behaviour simply was not acceptable and it should not be forgotten that an elderly resident in Sykes' care died.

• This was the first time that an employee had been prosecuted under the legislation, as opposed to an employer, and he was proud of Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service for bringing this about.

Source: Croner

Posted Date: 26th Jul 2011