Third of public buildings inspected in Surrey in breach of fire safety rules

A third of public buildings inspected in Surrey last year were found in breach of fire safety regulations, figures reveal.

Home Office data shows 132 buildings inspected by the Surrey Fire and Rescue Service in the year to March did not comply with fire safety laws – 34% of those inspected.

They included 19 care homes, 17 blocks of flats and 27 other forms of sleeping accommodation.

Fire services conduct audits on most public buildings and the shared areas of residential properties such as flats to make sure they meet safety regulations.

When inspections are unsatisfactory, auditors may issue an informal notification – for example to agree an action plan – or formal ones such as enforcement notices, warning that a building breaches the law.

In the most serious cases, inspectors may issue a prohibition notice to restrict or ban access to a building or they may prosecute those responsible for the property’s safety.

In the year to March, the Surrey Fire and Rescue Service issued 21 formal notifications, including 16 enforcement notices and five prohibition notices. There were no prosecutions.

A spokesperson for Surrey Fire and Rescue Service said: “We regularly visit businesses to educate them on how to keep themselves, their employees, and customers safe, and also ensure they can continue trading.

“SFRS has an audit programme where we visit businesses according to risk. There are a number of actions we can take as regulators from simple advice through to the more serious enforcement and prohibition notices when there is a risk to life. Prosecutions are used sparingly when all other avenues have been explored or where there are deliberate unsafe actions taken by the business.

“We would encourage all businesses to book a free Business Safe and Well Visit with us to help learn more about their responsibilities. They’re available to all organisations – big or small, trade or consumer focused. We want to make sure businesses are safer for everyone.”

With the number of inspections plummeting nationally due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Fire Brigades Union warned catching up will be made difficult by a drop in the number of inspectors.

In response to the pandemic, a number of audits were also carried out remotely, though a figure has not been provided by the Home Office.

Across England, 34,400 fire safety audits were carried out in 2020-21 – 29% fewer than the previous year.

In Surrey the number of audits dropped by 393 to 386 in the period.

Matt Wrack, the FBU's general secretary, said: "It is understandable that audit figures have dipped during the pandemic, given the reduction in non-emergency contact with the public.

"Any shortfall in inspections needs to be made up, however.

"This may be difficult, though, with steep falls in the number of fire inspectors in recent years.

“This fall in inspectors is also concerning due to the building safety issues that have come to light since Grenfell and the increased number of buildings fire inspectors are responsible for."

The Government said it was committed to learning lessons from the Grenfell Tower tragedy in 2017 – the fire at a London tower block, which killed more than 70 people.

Fire Minister Lord Greenhalgh said: “Stopping fires before they start is the best way to keep the places where we work and live safe, which is our number one priority.

"Where any issues are identified in initial desktop audits our fire and rescue services will follow up with full audits conducted in person.”