Owners of karaoke bar prosecuted for fire safety risks
14:42 - 20/12/2010
Owners of karaoke bar prosecuted for ...
HSE Inspectors have spoken out about how shocked they were to discover a series of fire safety failings when they investigated the site of a new karaoke bar in Manchester.
The investigating inspector, Neil Martin, said: “We were called in after receiving a complaint about the safety standards on site and were shocked by what we found. The basement and corridors were blocked with waste materials so it would have been extremely difficult to escape in a fire.
“[...] Just one spark could have set light to any of the piles of cardboard, and then dozens of lives would have been put in danger.”
The K2 Nightclub on George Street, Manchester, became the subject of a prosecution after an HSE investigation revealed that fire safety procedures were being completely disregarded, seriously risking the lives of both workers and the general public.
Owners of the bar, Music Box Karaoke Ltd, and the site manager, Marc Royle, have each admitted to breaching health and safety regulations at Trafford Magistrate’s Court. Music Box Karaoke Ltd were fined £6,000 and ordered to pay court costs of £3,313, while Mr. Royle received a £450 fine and was ordered to pay a further £2,710 in costs.
The court heard how large quantities of cardboard and other packaging and potentially flammable materials had been discarded throughout the site on George Street. Inspectors found that escape routes had not been marked and were often blocked. The fire alarm was switched off and, although there were fire extinguishers on site, they had not been tested for seven years.
HSE Inspector Neil Martin commented: “Music Box Karaoke and Marc Royle both seemed to be ignorant of the health and safety laws that applied to them.”
First Response Training offers a wide range of health and safety training for all industry sectors and their course portfolio includes a number of specialist health and safety subjects.
Managing Director, Perry Leeks, explains: “We are one of the largest suppliers of health and safety training in the UK and we continue to expand and diversify our course portfolio to make sure we are offering the best, most up to date training courses for all workplaces. We believe that health and safety is more than just legal compliance and is about creating a safe working environment for everyone.
“General health and safety training, such as our Essentials of Health and Safety or the CIEH accredited Level 2 in Health and Safety, can ensure that employers and employees know their responsibilities when it comes to workplace safety and to protecting the general public from harm. It will teach them about the relevant legislation and make sure they are well-versed in the basic principles of safe working.
“We also offer a suite of fire safety training courses, including online fire safety and fire risk assessment training, which will help companies to ensure that they are complying with fire safety procedures and are not taking any unnecessary risks. Call us today and talk to one of our sales advisors to discuss courses such as Statutory Fire Training and Fire Safety for Managers and Supervisors.”
You can call First Response on free phone 0800 310 2300.
The investigating inspector, Neil Martin, said: “We were called in after receiving a complaint about the safety standards on site and were shocked by what we found. The basement and corridors were blocked with waste materials so it would have been extremely difficult to escape in a fire.
“[...] Just one spark could have set light to any of the piles of cardboard, and then dozens of lives would have been put in danger.”
The K2 Nightclub on George Street, Manchester, became the subject of a prosecution after an HSE investigation revealed that fire safety procedures were being completely disregarded, seriously risking the lives of both workers and the general public.
Owners of the bar, Music Box Karaoke Ltd, and the site manager, Marc Royle, have each admitted to breaching health and safety regulations at Trafford Magistrate’s Court. Music Box Karaoke Ltd were fined £6,000 and ordered to pay court costs of £3,313, while Mr. Royle received a £450 fine and was ordered to pay a further £2,710 in costs.
The court heard how large quantities of cardboard and other packaging and potentially flammable materials had been discarded throughout the site on George Street. Inspectors found that escape routes had not been marked and were often blocked. The fire alarm was switched off and, although there were fire extinguishers on site, they had not been tested for seven years.
HSE Inspector Neil Martin commented: “Music Box Karaoke and Marc Royle both seemed to be ignorant of the health and safety laws that applied to them.”
First Response Training offers a wide range of health and safety training for all industry sectors and their course portfolio includes a number of specialist health and safety subjects.
Managing Director, Perry Leeks, explains: “We are one of the largest suppliers of health and safety training in the UK and we continue to expand and diversify our course portfolio to make sure we are offering the best, most up to date training courses for all workplaces. We believe that health and safety is more than just legal compliance and is about creating a safe working environment for everyone.
“General health and safety training, such as our Essentials of Health and Safety or the CIEH accredited Level 2 in Health and Safety, can ensure that employers and employees know their responsibilities when it comes to workplace safety and to protecting the general public from harm. It will teach them about the relevant legislation and make sure they are well-versed in the basic principles of safe working.
“We also offer a suite of fire safety training courses, including online fire safety and fire risk assessment training, which will help companies to ensure that they are complying with fire safety procedures and are not taking any unnecessary risks. Call us today and talk to one of our sales advisors to discuss courses such as Statutory Fire Training and Fire Safety for Managers and Supervisors.”
You can call First Response on free phone 0800 310 2300.
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