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Up in smoke

14 February 2012

Following a fire in May 2008 and trial last year, Michael Wilson and The Chumleigh Lodge Hotel Limited (corporate defendant) were fined £180,000 and £30,000 respectively (with £50,000 costs) at Blackfriars Crown Court last week. £2,000 compensation was also awarded to an individual guest who ended up having to escape the blaze through a 2nd floor window.
 
The guilty verdicts related to 6 offences under 5 articles of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order (RR(FS)O), which were;

• Article 9, Risk assessment - Failure to make a suitable and sufficient assessment
• Article 13, Fire-fighting and fire detection - Failure to adequately equip premises with fire detectors
• Article 14, Emergency routes and exits - Failure to ensure emergency routes from the premises are kept clear
• Article 17, Maintenance - failure to ensure premises, facilities, equipment or devices are maintained in an efficient state (two counts)
• Article 21, Training - Failure to provide staff with adequate safety training

It is believed that this case is the first time the RR(FS)O has gone to a jury trial and bearing in mind the offences (and recent other high profile cases), Mr Wilson is lucky it wasn’t significantly worse on a number of counts.

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