A story from the local rag today.
Fire safety records compiled by Brighton and Hove City Council show there are more than 150 “high risk” issues in the city’s libraries.
Locked fire doors, no central alarm systems, slippery fire escapes – these are just some of the things library bosses have been warned about.
But, more than two years after the legally required inspections, all but one of the assessed libraries in the city still have serious problems which would prevent the safe evacuation of the building if a blaze broke out.
Despite being clearly highlighted in official Brighton and Hove City Council documents as “high risk” in 2009, dozens of improvements have still not been completed.
The local authority maintains its libraries, used by thousands of people a day, are safe and the public have nothing to fear. Fire experts added libraries, as with the majority of offices in the city, were not priority buildings.
But they did admit it was important the checklist, which can be drawn up by an unqualified council worker, was adhered to.
The information, compiled in 2009 and early 2010, was revealed to The Argus after a Freedom of Information act.
Of the city’s 14 libraries, detailed fire risk assessments (FRAs) were returned for 12 of them. The main Jubilee Library in Brighton, which was built in 1999 and is operated by a private firm under PFI, is the only one which has no potential high-risk problems.
The other major library in Church Road, Hove only had one serious recommendation which had not been started.
But at the other ten there were more than 150 “high risk” fire issues which had not been resolved. The libraries with outstanding issues are: Mile Oak, Whitehawk, Saltdean, Portslade, Moulsecoomb, Woodingdean, Hangleton, Coldean, Hollingbury, Westdene, Patcham, Rottingdean and Hove.
Despite this, a council spokesman said: “Libraries are safe and nobody should be worried about going into them.
“We’re aware things need doing and we direct our spending towards eliminating the highest risks first.”
So what do you all make of that?!
