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Punch Taverns’ £17k Fine
Punch Taverns have been fined £17,000 for two serious breaches of fire safety regulations at it’s ‘Barley Mow’ pub in London’s west end.
Concerns were raised by the London Fire Brigade five years ago following a routine fire inspection, and Punch yesterday admitted legislation breeches. Specifics of the case included a danger to fourth floor residents due to their distance from the nearest fire exit which was also partially obstructed, and as a result a notice was served to the effect that the floor could no longer be used as accommodation. On a return visit in 2007, it was discovered that it’s use as accommodation had continued.
Steve Turek, Assistant fire safety commissioner said ;
“It is important all premises owners and operators have a fire risk assessment and even more importantly act upon its findings in a timely manner. The prohibition notice in this case was served to ensure the safety of people using the premises. Notices must be taken very seriously and followed explicitly.”In response to the incident, a Punch Taverns spokesman said ;
“We take the safety of our employees and guests extremely seriously and would like to stress that this was an isolated incident that took place two years ago. Since then, we have made huge strides forward in our approach to health and safety. Through our Operational Excellence programme and the launch of the Be Safe, Be Legal, Be Compliant guideline we have strengthened our internal processes resulting in a dramatic decrease in the number of enforcement notices.”
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