Co-Op Fire Safety Failures Result in Hefty Fine
The Co-operative Group (Co-op), one of the UK’s largest retailers, has been fined £210,000 after pleading guilty to six breaches of fire safety legislation at Southampton Crown Court.
A 2007 investigation at a Southampton branch discovered that Co-operative employees had failed to keep rear emergency exit doors unlocked. Officers from Hampshire Fire and Rescue also found that locks had been fitted on the doors which required a security code, making the exit harder to open in an emergency.
In addition, the fire alarm call point was found to be obstructed and the alarm had not been tested regularly, while the store’s manager was not trained in fire safety methods.
Prosecution under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 took into account three other offences at other Co-op premises in Southampton and Portsmouth.
The group was fined £35,000 for each offence and ordered to pay a total of £210,000, plus costs in excess of £28,000 to Hampshire Fire and Rescue Authority.
"We would like this case to act as a timely reminder to business owners and landlords that the Fire Safety Order is in place, and that the regulations placing responsibilities on businesses are there to make people safer,” warned Chief Officer John Bonney of Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service.
Southampton Crown Court’s Judge Barnett said the case demonstrated a “lamentable” approach to fire safety and that the Co-Operative Group had been responsible for a potential “death trap”.
"The Co-operative Group deeply regrets the breaches but reiterates that its rigorous measures, now established and continually reviewed in conjunction with fire authorities across the country, ensure the safety of its valued customers and staff,” claimed a company spokesman.