Fire officers talk safety with businesses

The Barbados Fire Service is keeping a close eye on businesses in breach of local fire safety regulations.

Chief Fire Officer Errol Maynard made the announcement as he led a team of firefighters through the streets of Speightstown, St Peter to inspect businesses and interface with owners about the level of compliance at their establishments.

“If you have an exit that is blocked and closed, then that is an immediate infraction, so we want that to be fixed immediately, because that can be done immediately. If there is some structural work to be done, they will probably get a minimum of two weeks,” Maynard told reporters.

“Sometimes it’s something significant that you have to put mitigating factors in place, so that will take a bit longer, but we work with the owners and proprietors to make it safe. Sometimes it takes a little longer than two weeks. Sometimes we have had cases where we had to put things in place and allow the person a whole year to get things right. But we generally try to make it right,” the fire chief further explained.

While noting that legislation does not currently facilitate fines for non-compliance, the fire service may demand that businesses cease operations until they put their proverbial houses in order. 

“I don’t think we have had to do that much. Only once that I can remember, but generally people will, even if they do it reluctantly, they will comply. But we have probably only had to close a business once that I can remember,” Maynard said.

“Some people are fairly hesitant [to comply] because of the costs, but in general, people will comply. There are a few who would give you some resistance, but generally, they would comply.

“You also can be put in court with the assistance of the Chief Labour Officer and they can be fined through a court of summary jurisdiction,” he added.

Firemen are presently observing Fire and Life Safety Week under the theme Sound of Fire Safety.

“Everything has a sound and therefore we want people to get accustomed to the sound of fire safety, whether it’s a siren, whether it’s a smoke detector, whatever the sound is giving off. We want people, when they hear the sound, to know exactly what it is,” said Maynard. (KS)