OIL GIANT Shell Inter-national Limited has been fined £300,000 and ordered to pay £45,000 in costs after pleading guilty to three breaches of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 in England and Wales – the largest fine imposed under the legislation to date.

London Fire Brigade prosecuted Shell following two small fires in the space of three weeks at its office complex in central London. In the first incident, on 19 December 2006, 40 people evacuated the building and some 20 firefighters attended. In the second, on 5 January 2007, cutting equipment set fire to insulation material.

An inspection carried out by the brigade in January 2007 identified extensive breaches, including blocked escape routes and fire exits, defective fire doors and excessive fire loading. The fire loading had been dramatically increased because of refurbishments taking place on upper floors.

The brigade served a prohibition notice on the company, restricting public and staff access to the Shell Tower and basement levels of the complex. The notice was lifted three days later after the company remedied the fire safety failings.

It was also found that Shell’s fire risk assessment for the site had not been reviewed or updated since March 2003.

In mitigation, Shell apolog-ised for the shortcomings and said it had taken immediate action to put things right. An independent review of fire safety plans and the condition of the building had also been carried out, it said.

News article reproduced by kind permission of the Fire Risk Mangement Journal, find out more at: www.frmjournal.com