The Government guide books state you should install fire extinguishers where required in accordance of BS5306.
The whole point of FRA is to get away from prescription.
I have pasted a report below Case 1 from a company fined £35k for not maintaining their fire equipment properly, part of it was for lack of maintennace of fire extinguishers, may be you can get them a refund as extinguishers arnt needed.
And Case 2 at the bottom he would love to here from you because he was fined over £10k including for not providing fire fighting equipment and seeing you say he does not need any may be you can get him a refund as well.
CASE 1
total of more than £35,000 after serious breaches of security were discovered following a fire.
Mill House Inns Trading admitted breaking fire safety regulations at the White Swan Hotel in Arundel in Sussex, during a hearing before Worthing Magistrates.
The court heard that fire broke out at the hotel in March 2007 and 10 guests trapped in their bedrooms had to be rescued by fire fighters. No serious injuries were reported.
A subsequent investigation by fire officers revealed a series of lapses of fire safety security.
According to evidence given before the court the fire alarm panel had been switched to silent, fire doors had been wedged open, staff had not received adequate fire safety training, fire alarms had not been tested correctly, and there was no overall emergency plan.
The company was fined £25,000 with £11,000 costs.
After the case director of community protection Trevor Pilcher said: "This hotel had the right physical precautions in place like smoke detectors, self-closing fire doors, emergency lighting and fire extinguishers but all that becomes ineffective if the management of the fire precautions isn't good enough.”
CASE 2
10 January 2008
The owner and landlord of a HIMO (house in multiple occupation) was fined more than £10,000, including costs of over £1,900, after pleading guilty yesterday to six charges relating to inadequate fire safety standards.
Proceedings were brought against Aftab Hussain after he failed to comply with an enforcement notice issued by Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service in December 2006 under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order.
The notice was issued because fire safety inspectors identified a number of fire safety shortfalls at the property in Conegra Road, High Wycombe, including:
Failure to provide adequate fire detection and emergency lighting
Failure to adequately protect the means of escape
Failure to provide adequate fire fighting equipment
He was prosecuted because he failed to put them right within the timescales set.
Mr Hussain pleaded guilty to all counts at High Wycombe Magistrates Court and was fined a total of £10,377.68, including more than £1,900 costs.
The Magistrate commented on the serious nature of the offences and praised the quality of the evidence presented by Buckinghamshire & Milton Keynes Fire Authority.
Station Manager Graham Field, Fire Safety Team Leader for Wycombe and South Bucks, said afterwards: “This case clearly demonstrates how our safety officers are inspecting relevant buildings and applying the law to help ensure the safety of our community.
“Prosecution is only considered in the most serious cases or otherwise as a last resort, but will be persued with the utmost vigour when necessary”.
The law under which he was prosecuted applies to nearly all premises, with the exception of single private dwellings. In HIMOs, it applies to common areas of the building, where a “responsible person” must ensure adequate fire safety standards through a process of fire risk assessment.
Chris Bailey, Group Manager Prevention, said: “Although this happened in High Wycombe, we would like it to act as a timely reminder to people throughout Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes that these regulations are there to make people safer.
“We will help people in any way we can to comply with them, but sometimes we need to take legal action.”
Chief Fire Officer Damian Smith said: “This case highlights the dedication and professionalism of our fire safety team, who are committed to making sure that buildings of this type are safe and fit for purpose.
“I would like to congratulate the team for the tremendous work it has done to bring about this prosecution.”
Since the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order (RRO) came into force in 2006, Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service has issued around 100 notices restricting the use of part or all of a building or requiring fire safety improvements.
