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Face the Facts: Fire Safety Disorder

Fire Safety Disorder

22/07/2010

BBC Radio 4 - Face the Facts, Fire Safety Disorder

As firms are fined over fire safety, John Waite discovers government breaches of the law.

As more firms are fined over fire safety failures, John Waite discovers the government has also broken its own laws, yet ministers and civil servants are safe from prosecution.

As more firms are being fined using laws designed to keep people safe from fire, John Waite discovers the government has been breaking its own laws on fire safety. The difference is that while private companies and individuals face huge fines or prison sentences, ministers and civil servants need not worry about such things. That's because they work in buildings classed as crown premises and crown immunity from prosecution covers fire safety laws. Only if someone was to die in a disaster might they find themselves in court under different legislation. And the government is not always as good at following the fire safety regulations as perhaps you might think. Serious failings have emerged at one central government headquarters and other breaches have been uncovered at other parts of the country. All this follows the programme's earlier revelations on towerblocks deemed a danger to residents and the firefighters' training college which hadn't followed fire safety legislation when one of its own buildings burnt down.

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