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WEDNESDAY, JULY 16, 1966
IT WAS HOPED THAT THE PENALTIES NOW PROPOSED WOULD PROVIDE A SUITABLE DETERRENT, AND THAT STANDARDS OF FIRE SAFETY, PARTICULARLY IN MULTI-STOREY BUILDINGS, WOULD RISE.
MR THOMAS NOTED THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAD FOR SOME TIME BEEN CONCERNED ABOUT THE DANGERS OF FIRE HAZARDS IN MULTI-STOREY BUILDINGS, PARTICULARLY OBSTRUCTIONS TO ESCAPE ROUTES. SUCH HAZARDS ENDANGERED THE LIVES OF PEOPLE LIVING AND WORKING IN THE BUILDINGS. THEY ALSO IMPEDED FIREMEN IN THEIR ACCESS TO FIRES.
+AT PRESENT, THE DIRECTOR OF FIRE SERVICES LACKS THE POWER REQUIRED TO TACKLE THIS PROBLEM EFFECTIVELY. ALL HE CAN DO IS TO ISSUE ABATEMENT NOTICES REQUIRING FIRE HAZARDS TO BE REMOVED WITHIN A GIVEN PERIOD OF TIME. ONLY WHEN AN ABATEMENT NOTICE HAS BEEN IGNORED IS AN OFFENCE COMMITTED, + HE SAID.
+THIS STATE OF THE LAW PROVIDES NO REAL INCENTIVE TO KEEP COMMON AREAS FREE FROM HAZARDS. BECAUSE THERE IS NO IMMEDIATE OFFENCE MANY WILL TAKE A RISK AND DELIBERATELY BLOCK ESCAPE ROUTES IN THE KNOWLEDGE THAT THEY CANNOT BE PUNISHED UNTIL AFTER A NOTICE HAS BEEN SERVED AND THES HAVE HAD THE CHANCE TO REMOVE THE OBSTRUCTION AT LEAST FOR A TIME, BECAUSE
IF LATER THE ESCAPE ROUTE IS FOUND AGAIN TO BE BLOCKED, THE DIRECTOR MUST FIRST SERVE ANOTHER ABATEMENT NOTICE AND SO IT MAY GO ON.+
MR THOMAS NOTED THAT THE FIRE AT THE BLUE BOX FACTORY BUILDING IN ABERDEEN IN 1984 RENEWED PUBLIC CONCERN ABOUT STORAGE OF GOODS IN ESCAPE ROUTES WITHIN MULTI-STOREY BUILDINGS.
THAT FIRE BURNED FOR THREE DAYS, CAUSING EXTENSIVE DAMAGE, PARTLY BECAUSE OF THE DIFFICULTIES FACED BY FIREMEN IN WORKING THEIR WAY INTO THE BUILDING,
IN RESPONSE TO THE PUBLIC CONCERN, THE ADMINISTRATION EXAMINED THE EXISTING LEGISLATION TO DETERMINE WHAT CHANGES WERE REQUIRED TO CREATE APPROPRIATE DETERRENTS FOR MALPRACTICES.
+ THE RESULT IS THE BILL BEFORE THE COUNCIL TODAY, MR THOMAS SAID.
HE ADDED THAT IN CONSIDERING THESE AMENDMENTS, THE ADMINSTRATION TOOK ACCOUNT OF THE AVAILABILITY OF STORAGE SPACE IN INDUSTRIAL AREAS TO SEE WHETHER THIS WAS A CONTINUING CONSTRAINT ON THE ABILITY TO STORE GOODS SAFELY, THE CONCLUSION WAS THAT LACK OF STORAGE SPACE WAS NO LONGER THE PROBLEM IT ONCE HAD BEEN.
REPRESENTATIVES OF THE PRIVATE SECTOR, BOTH IN COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, HAD BEEN INFORMED OF THE AMENDMENTS. ALL HAD SUPPORTED THE SPIRIT OF THE PROPOSALS AND HAD SO FAR RAISED NO OBJECTIONS TO THEM.
DE BATE ON THE BILL WAS ADJOURNED.
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