In response to the latest fire prevention and protection statistics released by the UK government this morning, CheckFire director Bruce Robins highlights that breaches of fire safety requirements remain far higher than pre-pandemic levels, and comments on the need for the public and businesses to ensure a greater focus on fire safety equipment and procedures.
The latest fire prevention and protection statistics released by the UK government for the year ending March 2025 reveal some promising shifts in fire safety across England. It was found that eight out of the 10 most frequently breached provisions saw decreases in occurrence, compared to the previous year.
While this a significant move in the right direction, it also highlights the diligence needed to return to pre-pandemic levels and ensure fire risk is removed as far as is reasonably practicable in non-domestic premises. All ten of the most frequently breached provisions saw increases of occurrence ranging from 16% to 95% compared to the year ending March 2020.
‘Emergency routes and exits’, ‘maintenance’, and ‘risk assessments’ were found to be the three most frequently breached areas of compliance. It is critical that allocated responsible persons ensure fire detection and firefighting equipment is adequately installed, fit for purpose, and regularly serviced according to regulations. It is also essential to engage in ongoing risk assessments and develop a clear emergency plan that can be easily followed in the event of a fire. This means identifying hazards, evaluating risks, taking steps to remove or reduce them, recording findings, and providing adequate emergency exits for all premises. It is important for these steps to be considered to help the country to return safety standards back to pre-pandemic levels.
