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FIRE SERVICE AND GENERAL FIRE SAFETY TOPICS => Fire Safety => Topic started by: Thomas Brookes on January 24, 2009, 01:16:35 PM
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Hello,
Does anyone know of what the Laws/ legislation is like in Spain.
As far as I can see, if there are laws for fire safety they seem to be ignored the same as any other laws.
I would be very interested in any information.
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They must have some requirements as the Workplace and Framework directives apply in spain as they do in Blighty.
Different countrise take a different approach. We tend to be rather safey conscious, posibly because it's chilly here so we've had a history of fire that is different to theirs.
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Hi Brian,
I am an ex-local authority FS officer based in Southern Spain. There is a requirement for a risk assessment (including fire) to be carried out by business's in this Country as stated by Wee Brian, I have done this on few ocacsions for some companies. Be aware however that there are unscrupulous companies scare mongering people advertising that they will carry out Fire Risk Assessments by their own "qualified personnel", which is certainly not the case. I have in fact taken issue with one such company and have spoken to their MD questioning their ability to carry out such assessments when they obviously don't have the qualified/trained personnel (what qualifications or expertise do they have). This company also attended a large exhibition advertising the need to carry out fire risk assessments, at the exhibiton I asked a chap on the stand a few questions...........he didn't have a clue.
Thomas, you are correct in your statement whereby you say that fire sfatey seems to be ignored, you only have to look around the large shopping malls where fire doors are regularly wedged open, escape doors blocked/locked..........the list is endless. But then again fires don't happen in Spain!!!!!!!. I think in time things may change and example of this is that I am currently onboard with a large international company who has won a contract to build a shopping mall and they were looking for a fire engineer to come onboard. The smaller business's however..........it's all about budget, it's convincing them otherwise! ::)
Regards