Managing agent calls for more fire safety precautions

It takes time for the smoke from a flat fire to seep under the door and trigger the alarms in the common parts. The property management industry needs to recognise the  benefits of smoke alarms in individual flats for the block as a whole.”

Weil is the property manager for South Lodge, where there was a recent fire.

 Weil’s call resonated with Peverel Retirement, who are dealing with the aftermath of the tragic fire at Gibson Court. A Peverel Retirement spokesperson said: “... many of the developments we manage have smoke detectors in individual apartments linked to the fire panel or warden call systems. The latter are linked to CarelineUK’s 24 hour social alarm monitoring centre. Where this is not the case, we encourage residents to fit standalone detectors.”

Fire can also affect nearby properties, as surveyor Julian Davies of Earl Kendrick Associates identified: “What is often not considered is the damaging and distressing effects a fire can have on neighbouring properties, which may have borne the brunt of nearby fire damage but may not be deemed inhabitable by the insurers. Such effects can include smoke damage, water damage, fumes and foul smells as well as the often lengthy disruption caused as a result of reinstatement building works.”

Colin Welch, General Manager at specialist Health and Safety consultants, 4Site Consulting explained the difficulty faced by managing agents: “The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 places clear duties on owners, managers, landlords of such buildings but the regulation has been somewhat “muddied” by a guidance document from the Local Government Group which has caused many to question aspects of where this seems to contradict the Order. It is important to remember that in any case of contradiction, the Order is law.”

Separately, one MP has already pledged to table a Parliamentary question on fire safety in blocks. The commitment was made following the successful completion of the retrofitting of an automatic fire sprinkler system in a block in her Sheffield Heeley constituency. Meg Munn MP said: “I’m pleased this project has demonstrated that sprinklers can be fitted on existing high rise blocks without difficulty. It’s time for Government and local authorities to act to prevent further unnecessary loss of life.” The project was supported by the British Fire Sprinkler Association.