51% OF PREMISES FAIL FIRE SAFETY INSPECTION

OVER half of business premises inspected by Cumbria’s fire and rescue service in 2011-12 failed a safety audit, new figures show.

A study by Safety Management (UK), a fire-safety specialist based at Burton near Kendal, reveals that 201 of the 391 audits carried out in the year to March were deemed “unsatisfactory”.

Fire officers served 48 enforcement notices over that period.

Safety Management (UK) says that businesses and organisations are gambling by cutting back on safety.

Many wrongly believe they have fire safety covered.

The firm’s managing director, Brian Gregory, said: “The figures suggest that business is still not getting it right when it comes to managing fire safety.”