AN EXPERIENCED retired inspecting fire officer who has witnessed the loss of life and property caused by fire in the Isle of Man over four decades has set up a fire safety consultancy business in the hope of preventing major fire incidents in the future.
Martin Rundle, who retired just over a year ago after 35 years’ with the Isle of Man Fire & Rescue Service, has set up MFR Fire Safety Consultancy with the intention of passing on his extensive knowledge for the benefit of large and small businesses and property owners.
“I have seen many lives taken by fire and millions of pounds worth of property destroyed by fire, and I know that some of this may have been avoided if certain fire safety measures had been introduced.
“When I retired from the Isle of Man Fire and Rescue Service I decided to set up MFR Fire Safety Consultancy with the priority to help businesses comply with their statutory requirements.”
In particular, Martin Rundle is keen to see how differences in fire safety legislation between the Isle of Man and the United Kingdom will be handled by the Island in the near future. At present, the only fire risk assessment required in law in the Isle of Man is part of the 2003 Health & Safety at Work Regulations where schedule 17 covers fire safety issues in only basic terms.
In the UK there is a requirement that public and commercial buildings need to have a written fire risk assessment which goes into much more detail than the Isle of Man regulations and which have much more severe penalties for companies and individuals, including the ability to close down premises, impose heavy fines and prison sentences in the worst cases.
He added, “There are believed to be more than 6,500 apartments alone in the Isle of Man registered with government which are rented out by companies and individuals which all need to come within the fire safety regulations and I know through many years of experience that there are many which do not comply with the regulations - particularly in the areas of fire doors and escape routes.”
He also pointed out that the many hundreds of properties used for homestay during the TT and Manx Grand Prix, but also at other times of the year, are also required to conform to fire safety rules and that many of these are operating outside the formal homestay system and have not been inspected by fire officers and do not comply with the regulations issued by the Department of Tourism.
“The Isle of Man did not follow the introduction of new fire safety legislation in the UK in 2006 and no steps have been taken since to do so. I am interested to see what will happen in this regard in the future and whether our politicians will see the benefits of the change in UK legislation and introduce the Regulatory Reform Fire Safety Order 2005 or continue with the current legislation.”
MFR was set up in 2010, after Martin Rundle’s retirement from the Isle of Man Fire Service in 2009, latterly as Fire Safety Inspecting Officer, responsible for advising on planning applications and the enforcing of fire safety legislation in the private and commercial sectors.
Working in this in the important role - at sub officer and station officer level - gave Martin an insight into the often highly complicated legislation covering fire safety. When he retired he decided that a fire safety consultancy business would be a good outlet for him to pass on his knowledge with the intention of helping companies and individuals comply with what can be quite complicated regulations.
Failure to implement preventative and protective measures under the Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations 2003 means a company could receive an unlimited fine. To avoid such a scenario, companies need to comply with a number of regulations, including the installation of suitable fire alarm and emergency lighting systems, the provision of fire fighting equipment and emergency routes and exits.
Other regulations include adequate training of staff and the appointment of employees to implement safety measures. Companies must also conduct a suitable risk assessment.
MFR gives advice on all areas of the regulations, including written fire risk assessments; courses for fire wardens; staff training on the use of fire fighting equipment and general fire safety recommendations.
Martin Rundle’s extensive experience within the Fire Service places him in a unique position to pass on his knowledge and training to vastly enhance a company’s fire safety compliance and also to educate staff on best practice and responsibilities.
MFR’s written fire risk assessments go into fine detail about all aspects of fire safety measures and offers concise detailed advice on how to make improvements which will enhance the safety of the staff working in a building and, most importantly, the people working in that environment.
The company also offers in-house fire safety staff training, where practical within workplace surroundings, and courses for fire wardens or individuals, no matter how large or small the company, for all types of properties - ranging from large office blocks to shops, small offices and apartments.
In the first year of operation, MFR has already provided a number of fire risk assessments for a variety of companies, such as residential homes and nursing homes as well as private properties and offices.
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