All businesses have a legal duty to uphold fire safety standards within their premises. Ignoring standards or becoming complacent in this area can have dangerous consequences, ranging from operational downtime to being responsible for preventable fatalities.

Fire safety breaches come with hefty fines, and this month at Fire Safety Equipment, we wanted to highlight some of the biggest breaches and fines to illustrate just how seriously you should be taking fire safety in your business.

Top 9 Biggest UK Fire Safety Fines

2005 – Poundstretcher

• Fined: £51,500

• Details: Poundstretcher’s Castleford store in West Yorkshire was fined for seven offences, including blocking emergency exits and a failure to provide adequate fire safety precautions for staff.
  

2007 – Tesco PLC

• Fined: £95,000

• Details: One of the UK’s largest supermarket chains was fined for wedging doors open and not keeping escape routes clear at their Colney Hatch branch in Barnet.
  

2007 – New Look

• Fined: £400,000

• Details: The largest fine on the list went to New Look for breaches found when a fire devastated their Oxford Street store, requiring 35 fire engines to tackle the flames. Staff had not received adequate training and escape routes had been blocked for storage.
  

2007 – Shell International

• Fined: £300,000

• Details: The oil and gas giant previously held the record for the largest fine after two fires within a month at their branch in Waterloo revealed breaches. This included blocking fire exits and fire doors that were not up to standard.
  

2008 – Hallmark Hotel Group

• Fined: £75,000

• Details: With no working fire alarms, a lack of staff training and fire exits that didn’t meet required standards, the Hallmark Hotel Group was hit with fines. This came after firefighters visited their site in Wilmslow for a routine inspection and found an array of fire safety breaches.
  

2008 – Greggs

• Fined: £50,000

• Details: A Greggs store in Brentford was found to have serious breaches that included a fire exit locked up with padlocks and obstructed fire escape routes.
  

2010 – Asda Stores Limited

• Fined: £40,000

• Details: An inspection at Asda’s Slough store found locked fire exits, blocked escape routes and even combustibles blocking doors — all of which resulted in a fine for fire safety breaches.
  

2010 – The Atomic Weapons Establishment

• Fined: £200,000

• Details: Even those responsible for munitions to protect the UK are not immune to fire safety laws. AWE was fined after a serious injury to an employee revealed they had not supplied adequate protective clothing.
  

2011 – Douglas and Gordon Limited

• Fined: £100,000
• Details: After a recent fire in a block of flats under the ownership of this London letting agent, a fire risk assessment was carried out, with recommendations the company did not act on. Failure to create an emergency plan, add emergency lighting or to act on other findings resulted in a hefty fine.

Fire safety and the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005

In most of the cases listed above, breaches of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 have resulted in fines. These regulations are not in place simply to help businesses protect their premises; above all else, they are designed to ensure employees, visitors, customers and tenants are kept safe.

Putting the right best practices into action, installing the right equipment and providing adequate training can help your business to mitigate the risk of fire. This, in turn, means you won’t be hit with fines and legal action, preserving your reputation and protecting lives.

Fire safety equipment for businesses

At Fire Safety Equipment, we stock a wide range of products to help your business comply with fire safety regulations and keep people safe, no matter what sector or industry. From our full selection of fire extinguishers and fire safety signs to additional accessories and workplace safety items, you can buy everything you need online from one trusted store.

Browse our range today and place your order for fast, free delivery in the mainland UK. Want to know the experience other customers have had with us? Take a look at our glowing reviews.

If you’re unsure about the equipment needed to stay compliant and avoid fines, our team is here to support and guide you. Get in touch today.