Fire MQ answers March 19
Preparing for another heatwave
Question No: 2019/6265
Andrew Dismore
The exceptionally hot weather in summer 2018 led a higher risk of fire and London Fire Brigade asked boroughs to institute a barbecue ban in parks. What preparations is the Brigade making for a repeat of the hot and dry weather?
Answer for Preparing for another heatwave
The Mayor
Last updated: 26 March, 2019
Officers are drafting a response
Responsible person for building safety
Question No: 2019/6266
Andrew Dismore
At Fire, Resilience and Emergency Planning Committee on 31 January, the LFC stated that there was difficulty in “getting Responsible People who wanted to commit and sign their name on documents stating whether or not buildings were safe and whether or not the right safety checks had taken place”. Since June 2017, at how many premises has the Brigade encountered difficulty in securing sign-off from the Responsible Person?
Responsible person for building safety
The Mayor
Last updated: 26 March, 2019
I believe the Commissioner was making a general point about the difficulties and uncertainties around building safety in the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower tragedy and, as a consequence, people committing to sign off risk assessments, provide Competent Person’s advice or sign for work being undertaken on premises. In general, this has led to people looking to London Fire Brigade (LFB) to provide guidance and take ownership of issues that rightly sit with the Responsible Person for a given premises. There have been no specific issues for LFB in this regard but it has been a consistent area that LFB have had to advise on.
Who watches the waking watches
Question No: 2019/6267
Andrew Dismore
In how many instances since June 2017 has London Fire Brigade reviewed the implementation of a waking watch and other interim fire safety measures in a tall residential building and found them to not meet the requirements set out to the Responsible Person?
Who watches the waking watches
The Mayor
Last updated: 26 March, 2019
The Responsible Person (RP) for a premises is required to seek advice from a relevant ‘Competent Person’ to implement interim measures in their building. MHCLG/NFCC guidance sets out considerations regarding numbers for waking watches and actions they should take in the event of a fire but the final determination is bespoke to each building. This is guidance rather than regulation.
London Fire Brigade has initiated ‘unannounced’ visits by station based crews to check these arrangements. Any issues that have arisen have been minor and resolved at the time or with the support of the local fire safety team. Due to the minor nature of these interactions, no data has been collected in this regard.
Question No: 2019/6268
Andrew Dismore
The most recent statement from London Fire Brigade reports 159 residential buildings in London currently have simultaneous evacuation. In 37 of these, the reason is something other than ACM-type flammable cladding. Please provide a breakdown of the reasons for the simultaneous evacuation policy being applied in these 37 properties.
Simultaneous evacuation
The Mayor
Last updated: 26 March, 2019
Simultaneous evacuation has been put in place as a temporary measure for a number of buildings for issues relating to failings in the general fire precautions. These have failings have included breaches in compartmentation, issues relating to the standard and/or condition of fire doors, construction type e.g. large panel construction and suitability and sufficiency of the fire risk assessments.
Fire safety inspection officers
Question No: 2019/6269
Andrew Dismore
Please state a) how many fire safety inspection officers the London Fire Brigade currently employs, and b) what the rate of staff turnover has been in this department for the three most recent years
Fire safety inspection officers
The Mayor
Last updated: 26 March, 2019
The establishment figure for Inspecting Officers (IOs) has remained unchanged for the past three years at 152.5 posts. The turnover rate was 9.68 per cent in 2016/17; 5.21 per cent in 2017/18; and 7.79 per cent in 2018/19 (to date).
Removing flammable cladding (1)
Question No: 2019/6270
Andrew Dismore
Please provide an update on your work with London Councils to enforce removal of flammable cladding, particularly on privately owned residential tower blocks
Answer for Removing flammable cladding (1)
The Mayor
Last updated: 26 March, 2019
Officers are drafting a response
Removing flammable cladding (2)
Question No: 2019/6271
Andrew Dismore
How many premises in London have been a) inspected by Joint Inspection Teams under the changes to the Housing Health and Safety Rating System implemented on 23 January, and b) issued with enforcement notices to remove dangerous cladding or make other fire safety improvements?
Answer for Removing flammable cladding (2)
The Mayor
Last updated: 26 March, 2019
Officers are drafting a response
Resource demands after Hackitt
Question No: 2019/6272
Andrew Dismore
The LFC described the work on fire safety following the Hackitt review as having a “huge impact” on London Fire Brigade resources. What has been the equivalent financial commitment from the Brigade on matters relating to the Review a) since its development and publication and b) what is predicted in future years?
Resource demands after Hackitt
The Mayor
Last updated: 26 March, 2019
There has been a huge increase in the demand placed on the London Fire Commissioner’s fire safety resources and the Hackitt review has been a significant, but not the only, factor in this.
Following the London Fire Commissioner’s review of resource requirements in 2017, £1.5m was set aside to resource Fire Safety in dealing with the additional workload that would follow from the fire at Grenfell Tower and other related reviews into building safety. Further demands have also been met as part of the Building Safety Programme to implement the Hackitt recommendations. This programme will be hosted by London Fire on behalf of NFCC, and supported with funding from the Home Office and MHCLG. Funding of £260k is expected in 2018/19 and further funding to be determined for 2019/20.
Question No: 2019/6273
Andrew Dismore
An investigation by Which? showed that major retailers were still selling plastic-backed fridges and other electronic appliances, despite London Fire Brigade advice to remove these lines. What steps is London Fire Brigade and the Mayor taking to ensure London Fire Brigade guidance is followed?
Electrical appliance safety
The Mayor
Last updated: 26 March, 2019
London Fire Brigade (LFB) has been lobbying for many years for all new refrigeration and freezing appliances to have a fully fire resistant backing as standard. They have not specifically asked retailers to remove plastic-backed fridges from the sale but have recommended that consumers do not buy them and asked manufacturers to stop making them. LFB is calling for the way that fridges and freezers are produced to change so that they are safer even if there is a fire. They have my full support in the campaign for a new standard, which would mean that fridge and freezer compressor compartments and the entire back panel would have to have a suitable level of flame retardance, such as being able to withstand catching fire.
Question No: 2019/6274
Andrew Dismore
Spot checks by London Fire Brigade revealed only two of fifteen recently built residential tower blocks had sprinklers. What steps are you taking, working with the London Fire Brigade, to ensure that the new London Plan contains strong enough guidance on automated fire suppression systems to ensure that all relevant premises have sprinklers installed in future?
Answer for Sprinklers on new builds
The Mayor
Last updated: 26 March, 2019
Officers are drafting a response
Question No: 2019/6275
Andrew Dismore
London Fire Brigade’s #SprinklersHit campaign rightly points out that tenants, not developers, end up on the hook for automated fire suppression systems, and that this must change. What meetings and correspondence has London Fire Brigade and the Mayor had on this topic with ministers?
Sprinklers hit
The Mayor
Last updated: 26 March, 2019
As Mayor of London, I strongly support London Fire Brigade’s position on automated fire suppression systems. I am calling for the guidance to be reformed to require them in more new buildings and for funding to be made available to support social landlords to retrofit them into existing tower blocks. I have written to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government a number of times on this issue, including in my response to Dame Judith Hackitt’s Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety and in the subsequent consultations on Approved Document B. London Fire Brigade has also responded to these consultations and the Fire Commissioner has a meeting with the Housing Minister to discuss these issues in April.
Question No: 2019/6276
Andrew Dismore
What steps is London Fire Brigade taking to ensure firefighters can get healthy and suitable food on shift?
Firefighter nutrition
The Mayor
Last updated: 26 March, 2019
London Fire Brigade has commissioned one of its firefighters, with expert knowledge of diet and nutrition, to deliver a pilot initiative in the Brigade’s north east area to help employees adjust their diet so that it comprises the necessary nutritional intake and assists them in eating only sufficient amounts to help them maintain a healthy weight. This has included 52 watches across 14 stations. An end of year report has been produced which is currently being reviewed with a proposal to extend the pilot to cover the remaining three areas.
As part of the Brigade’s strategy on improving the health and wellbeing of staff it also launched a wellworks site last year, offering a range of healthy eating and nutritional advice for staff to follow.
Fire safety in office to residential conversions (1)
Question No: 2019/6277
Andrew Dismore
When office premises are converted to residential under the permitted development rights, what steps does London Fire Brigade take to ensure the building meets fire safety standards?
Fire safety in office to residential conversions (1)
The Mayor
Last updated: 26 March, 2019
When London Fire Brigade (LFB) is consulted, on these matters, for example by a developer or the building control body dealing with the development, they will give due regard to the access and facilities for firefighters and the general fire precautions in the building in those areas where the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 applies and provide appropriate observations and comments. LFB has general concerns about levels of competency within the industry and the application of the building regulations across the built environment, including these types of conversions and has included those concerns within their responses to Dame Judith Hackitt’s Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety, the ongoing workstreams in relation to that review and their response to the consultation on the technical review of the Approved Document B of the building regulations.
Fire safety in office to residential conversions (2)
Question No: 2019/6278
Andrew Dismore
How many fires has London Fire Brigade dealt with in residential premises that have been converted from offices under the permitted development rights since this was introduced in 2013? Please provide the figures annually.
Fire safety in office to residential conversions (2)
The Mayor
Last updated: 26 March, 2019
When a fire occurs the attending crews will record the premises type based on its current use. As such a commercial premise that has been converted to residential use at the time of the fire would be recorded as a residential property type. As such, there is no readily available data set to identify offices converted under the permitted development rights that have had a fire.
Fire safety in office to residential conversions
Question No: 2019/6279
Andrew Dismore
What issues did the London Fire Brigade identify for review following the simultaneous evacuation of a block of flats in Stratford on 18 February 2019?
Fire safety in office to residential conversions
The Mayor
Last updated: 26 March, 2019
The premises involved in this incident was a purpose built block of flats and not a conversion. While London Fire Brigade is still awaiting the outcomes of the Performance Review of Operations and Command for this incident, early indications are that the evacuation of this premises was carried out in accordance with the plan for that building.
Developer uncertainty over cladding (1)
Question No: 2019/6280
Andrew Dismore
How many housing units are estimated to be behind schedule for completion due to uncertainty over permissible materials for cladding and construction while awaiting the Government’s review of building fire safety regulations?
Answer for Developer uncertainty over cladding (1)
The Mayor
Last updated: 26 March, 2019
Officers are drafting a response
Developer uncertainty over cladding (2)
Question No: 2019/6281
Andrew Dismore
What discussions has your office, TfL, the Greater London Authority Housing and Land team, London Legacy Development Corporation and Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation had with developers regarding uncertainty over permissible cladding and construction materials while awaiting the Government’s review of building fire safety regulations?
Answer for Developer uncertainty over cladding (2)
The Mayor
Last updated: 26 March, 2019
Officers are drafting a response
London Fire Brigade trading company
Question No: 2019/6282
Andrew Dismore
Please provide an update on the status and future plans for the London Fire Brigade trading company
London Fire Brigade trading company
The Mayor
Last updated: 26 March, 2019
London Fire Brigade Enterprises Ltd was incorporated on 23 January 2015. Following the resignation of the independent chair and all directors late last year, the company is not now trading. It will remain dormant until further business opportunities for the company are identified. The London Fire Commissioner’s Assistant Director (People Services), has been appointed a director of the company and will ensure that all regulatory requirements are complied with.
Care homes failing fire inspection followup (1)
Question No: 2019/6283
Andrew Dismore
In response to my question on care homes failing fire inspections, you reported that London Fire Brigade has audited 1226 care homes. Please explain whether these audits were based on information submitted by the care home operators, or site inspections by qualified officers, or other methods.
Care homes failing fire inspection followup (1)
The Mayor
Last updated: 26 March, 2019
The audits were conducted as part of London Fire Brigade’s proactive risk-based inspection programme.
Care homes failing fire inspection followup (2)
Question No: 2019/6284
Andrew Dismore
How many of the 549 care homes that either received an enforcement notice or a notice of deficiencies have since had a) a follow up visit and b) been judged to be broadly compliant following remediation work?
Care homes failing fire inspection followup (2)
The Mayor
Last updated: 26 March, 2019
Of the 51 enforcement notices issued, 30 premises have received follow up visits and been deemed broadly compliant.
In accordance with national guidance, there are no automatic follow up visits on when a notice of decencies (NOD) is issued. However, following a review undertaken by the fire safety department, it means that lessons learned during recent care home inspections London Fire Brigade will, in future, be following up on the more serious contraventions that result in NODs.
Care homes failing fire inspection followup (3)
Question No: 2019/6285
Andrew Dismore
What was the total numbers of beds in the care homes that were judged a) broadly compliant, b) notice of deficiency, and c) notice of enforcement?
Care homes failing fire inspection followup (3)
The Mayor
Last updated: 26 March, 2019
The number of beds in a care home is not a determining factor in considering the outcomes of an audit of the general fire precautions in a building. While the number of beds will be recorded in the individual premises file it is not a readily available dataset.
Care homes failing fire inspection followup (4)
Question No: 2019/6286
Andrew Dismore
Please categorise the results London Fire Brigade’s audits of care homes according to the ownership of the operation accordingly: council-run; not-for-profit run; business (managing a single property); business (managing more than one property).
Care homes failing fire inspection followup (4)
The Mayor
Last updated: 26 March, 2019
This is not a readily available dataset and in order to provide a response would require an individual check of each premises file and, in many cases, additional web research of the home operator and its portfolio of properties.
Care homes failing fire inspection followup (5)
Question No: 2019/6287
Andrew Dismore
How many of the 549 care homes audited that received an enforcement notice or notice of deficiencies were also rated as either Inadequate or Requires Improvement at the last CQC inspection?
Care homes failing fire inspection followup (5)
The Mayor
Last updated: 26 March, 2019
CQC inspections focus on the provision of care and London Fire Brigade (LFB)inspections look at compliance with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. While performance in one regard at a care premises might point to issues in another area it is not a comparison that is routinely made to inform the work of LFB. LFB’s inspections of care homes is largely informed by their proactive risk based inspection programme. They will routinely inform CQC when an audit outcome results in a notice of deficiency (NOD) or enforcement. On occasion, CQC will inform LFB of fire safety failures identified during their inspections. However, LFB has not identified any correlation between the ratings given by CQC and the results of our inspections.
LFB is leading on a NFCC worksteam to develop a MoU with CQC to develop their understanding of fire safety issues and assist information sharing.
Care homes failing fire inspection followup (6)
Question No: 2019/6288
Andrew Dismore
Please subdivide the results of London Fire Brigade’s care home audits that led to an enforcement notice or notice of deficiencies by borough.
Care homes failing fire inspection followup (6)
The Mayor
Last updated: 26 March, 2019
Please see the requested results of the London Fire Brigade’s care home audit below:
| Barking and Dagenham | 8 |
| Barnet | 24 |
| Bexley | 11 |
| Brent | 11 |
| Bromley | 71 |
| Camden | 13 |
| Croydon | 44 |
| Ealing | 19 |
| Enfield | 10 |
| Greenwich | 20 |
| Hackney | 6 |
| Hammersmith and Fulham | 5 |
| Haringey | 15 |
| Harrow | 7 |
| Havering | 16 |
| Hillingdon | 14 |
| Hounslow | 14 |
| Islington | 8 |
| Kensington and Chelsea | 7 |
| Kingston upon Thames | 10 |
| Lambeth | 26 |
| Lewisham | 29 |
| Merton | 5 |
| Newham | 19 |
| Redbridge | 20 |
| Richmond upon Thames | 16 |
| Southwark | 7 |
| Sutton | 28 |
| Tower Hamlets | 10 |
| Waltham Forest | 34 |
| Wandsworth | 9 |
| Westminster | 13 |
| Total | 549 |
