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Stores in Gloucester have been subjected to a round of fire safety checks by the local council and fire service in order to ensure that shoppers in the area are kept safe over Christmas.

Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service teamed up with Gloucester City Council to send fire safety officers around more than 20 local shops. The good news for Gloucester consumers is that the majority scored well in the inspections, with only a few minor problems being found.

Amongst the many issues the inspectors were checking for were:

• The levels of fire safety training (as well as health and safety training) amongst store staff
• Whether fire exit routes were clear and unobstructed
• The condition of fire alarm and smoke detector systems

Any small safety deficiencies that were found were dealt with right away, so the people of the city can feel 100% confident that they are safe when using shops in Gloucester.

Gloucester City Council’s Cabinet Member for Communities, Councillor Will Windsor-Clive, had this to say on the subject of fire safety in shops at Christmas:

“At this time of year, shops often have more stock than usual, so it’s especially important for businesses to ensure fire exit routes are kept clear of all stock.
“A lot of shops also have temporary staff and they must have the right fire safety training, just like their permanent colleagues.”