Fine for Aldershot shop over fire safety and gas cylinder risks
The owner of a shop in Aldershot in Hampshire has been handed a fine of £12,000 from the authorities after he failed to adhere to fire safety regulations at his premises.
Tahir Ahmed, the owner of Imee’s Audio and Video shop, faced prosecution from Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service after a series of quite dangerous issues were uncovered within his business. Fire safety breaches included:
- Failure to carry out a fire risk assessment
- Failure to provide staff with adequate fire safety training
- Inadequate maintenance of smoke alarms and emergency lighting
- Lack of fire doors
- Serious risk of fire spreading within the building
- Blocked fire exits
- Improper storage of combustible materials
Fire safety officers also found a cylinder of liquid petroleum gas outside the building, which was attached to a pipe leading through a kitchen window to a camping stove.
The property was considered particularly dangerous as it was being used as a home for several people as well as a shop.
After pleading guilty to a total of 12 fire safety breaches, many of which could have caused serious injury or death if a fire had broken out, Mr Ahmed was fined £12,000 and ordered to pay legal costs of £6,278.50.