Fire Safety and Health & Safety for your Development
By admin | April 13th, 2010 | Category: Past Articles | 36 commentsIn November 2009, following an investigation by Hampshire Fire & Rescue, we publicised the successful prosecution of Solitaire Property Management for failing to comply with fire safety law.
For those that haven’t read about this, we have copied the information from Hampshire Fire & Rescue’s webite:
3 November 2009
Solitaire Property Management Limited has today been fined £1,500 plus costs of £2,000 after pleading guilty to two offences at Southampton Magistrates Court relating to charges of the company’s failure to comply with fire safety law.
Solitaire Property Management Limited failed to respond to a number of requests for information relating to the premises known as Sundowner Block, 31 Channel Way, Ocean Village, Southampton, under Article 27 of the Fire Safety Order.
Solitaire Property Management is responsible for the maintenance and management of blocks of flats and housing developments including both internal and external communal areas.
The successful prosecution was taken forward by Hampshire County Council solicitors for the two breaches and Solitaire Property Management received a fine of £750 per offence and were ordered to pay £1,000 to Hampshire Fire and Rescue Authority and £1,000 to Hampshire County Council.
Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service has a responsibility to enforce the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and to identify those persons who have responsibility for the fire safety provisions in specific premises. Current fire safety legislation gives inspectors the power to make enquiries, enabling them to identify the ‘responsible person’ and direct enforcement action towards the correct person.
Assistant Chief Officer Steve Hamm, Head of Community Safety at Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service, today said:
“We require information about premises to enable us to carry out our enforcement action and improve the safety of the people of Hampshire. Failure to answer our letters constitutes an offence under the Fire Safety Order and Solitaire Property Management has today been found guilty of this offence.
“We strive to work closely with businesses to help them with their duty to comply under the Fire Safety Order, but where their responsibilities are not taken seriously, the Service will always consider prosecution. This case clearly demonstrates how our fire safety officers are applying the law to help ensure the safety of our community and making Hampshire safer.”
In the last two years (Oct 2006 – 2008) there have been over 40 prosecutions in the UK against companies failing to comply with the Fire Safety Order. Additionally, fire services nationally have issued over 3,800 enforcement notices during the same period.
A number of common trends have emerged since the new fire safety law came into force. These include: blocked or locked exits, poorly maintained fire escape staircases, lack of staff fire training storage of combustible materials in boiler rooms, lack of fire alarms, lack of emergency lighting, lack of fire doors, and in many cases lack of suitable fire risk assessment.
Assistant Chief Officer Hamm added:
“We would like this case to act as a timely reminder to business owners and landlords throughout Hampshire that the Fire Safety Order is in place, and that the regulations placing responsibilities on businesses are there to make people safer.
“We will continue to use the Service’s powers where necessary in order to improve the standards of safety throughout the county. The Service believes the verdict, together with the scale of the fine, gives a clear message to members of the business community in Hampshire of the need to respond to requests for information.”
It’s been brought to our attention by ‘Jon’ that he has been advised that:
Every site should have a copy of the Fire Risk Assessment posted in communal areas as this poses a risk to life and is very serious.
In addition to this, his new insurance policy stipulates that they MUST have a Health & Safety Representative and an up to date log of risk assessments and actions to be taken where required.
Jon goes on further to say that
I presume that the H&S representative for each site managed by Peverel et al is the Property Manager and therefore as a representative of the company he/she is directly responsible?
I recommend that each site should therefore request a copy of the Heath & Safety History and Fire Safety Risk Assessment.
Let the Property Manager have 7 days to produce this and if these documents are not forthcoming, report Peverel immediately to the Health & Safety Executive.
This information could not have come at a more appropriate time, as we have also received the following from another TTAS contributor (who wishes to remain anonymous)
I’m writing ref Echo Crescent at Manadon Park in Plymouth.
In short the fire alarm panel at the entrance to our apartment block has been faulty for 18 months.
Solitaire have totally ignored all of my correspondence to report the fault including phone calls and letters.
I have now contacted Devon Fire and Rescue Service who have called Solitaire but again with no response.
The fact that the fire alarm panel has not been fixed also shows that no maintenance has also taken place, which I would also assume has not happened on any of the blocks (at least 6) within our development.
I also called Persimmon Homes who informed me that the residents at an apartment block have the power to remove Solitaire as their management company.
When a property developer hands over a new development two members of the development company sit on the board of directors for that particular development’s management company.
The two Directors then hand over their directorship to two residents who then take their place on the board and they then have the opportunity via a residents vote to replace Solitaire with a new management company. Has anybody else heard of this?
We have referred the contributor to the Hampshire Fire & Rescue website report, but does suggest that despite the original prosecution, Solitaire are happy to not respond to risks that could potentially endanger our lives.
Hopefully, by publishing the above, ‘Andy’ will act and get this issue sorted at this development, but once again – why has it had to take the contributor to contact us, to highlight these problems?
We’ve just checked our ‘communal noticeboard’ and there is nothing that relates to H&S or Fire Safety Checks.
There isn’t even a PAT label on the communal vacuum that the cleaners (when they actually arrive) use and it’s been there 5 years!
TTAS Statement
We have noticed that in the last few weeks some comments that have contained links to inappropriate websites and expletives have some how managed to get posted on TheTruthAboutSolitaire.
This comments have ‘slipped’ through our SPAM prevention system, which is why all posts by ‘newbies’ are moderated before being published and we would like to apologise in for any embarrassment that these may have caused.
In addition to this, we’ve also seen an increase in comments that have become slightly ‘heated’ and would like to remind everyone that TTAS is here to help and not to offend.
Admittedly, when it comes to SPM / Peverel, we understand that sometimes some comments can infuriate people – trust us, we’ve done the same thing with some posts – but this is exactly the type of thing that SPM / Peverel probably wants to see happen on TTAS.
The reason for this is probably in the hope that, if TTAS becomes a site where people are offended, it won’t encourage visitors to contribute, which will result in all the bad things that SPM do, remaining behind closed doors and not in the public vicinity.
The success of TTAS has surprised myself and although many of you would like to know who ‘Admin’ is, unfortunately I must continue to conceal it for fear of recriminations from SPM / PPMG.
I trust that you can appreciate the reasons for this, but even in e-mail correspondence I am not to know whether any of the people that contact us, have dealings with PPMG / SPM on a personal level.
No sign of any “Fire Risk Assessment” information on the noticeboard in the communal hallway of my block. No H&S info at all, to be honest. I assume the same applies to the other 4 blocks on my development…..
We have no fire alarm (not even any fire extinguishers), but I assume we should still have a Fire Risk Assessment…???
So, should I raise this with my Property Manager, or should I just save time & hassle and go straight to my local Fire Authority…???
Hi everyone,
I just would like to let everyone know that we treat Admin’s posting today extremely seriously.
That’s why Peverel Property Management has a dedicated Health & Safety Manager who provides expert advice to Solitaire property managers in order to ensure that all risk assessments such as Fire Risk Assessments, Asbestos Register Compliance, Five Year Electrical Test etc. are carried out and the recommendations are implemented.
Firstly I can repeat some background information to the prosecution by Hampshire Fire Authority that I posted on this site last November. To clear up any misunderstanding this prosecution was not, in fact, about standards of fire safety at the development.
In March 2009, the local Fire Authority sent three letters to the old Solitaire office in Barnet that we closed last Autumn. They were simply requesting confirmation of the name of the owner/freeholder of the Ocean Village property and their address. Due to an administration error that we freely admit, this was not brought to the Property Manager’s attention when it should have been.
When a Fire Officer rang Solitaire in August 2009 about the lack of a response, the Regional Property Manager got involved and immediately supplied the relevant information. We also apologised to the Hampshire Fire Authority for the poor administration.
The prosecution brought by the HFA came under the terms of the Regulatory Reform Fire Safety 2005 legislation – which translates as a failure to supply information to the Fire Authority “when asked.” This prosecution was not about standards of fire safety at a development, nor about not failing to have a Fire Risk Assessment (which the property has had). It was simply because information was not supplied when it was requested.
As I have said in many previous postings, Solitaire has suffered from many operational shortcomings that needed to be addressed of which poor office administration at the Barnet office was a major issue.
Secondly I have read the posts and comments made by “Jon” who lives at a development that Solitaire no longer manage. I will be speaking to our Health & Safety Manager to get his response to some of the questions raised by “Jon” on Fire Risk Assessments.
Thirdly I have asked the Divisional Property Manager who is now responsible for the property management team who manage Solitaire developments in the West of England to investigate the comments made by a resident in Plymouth who I understand wishes to remain anonymous. Unfortunately by doing so we cannot ascertain whether or when they or their local fire authority have contacted us.
However we will post a response to the comments made on fire safety at this development.
As I said last November I’d like to urge anyone with concerns about Health and Safety issues to get in contact with me – similarly for anyone wishing for further clarification.
As always my email address is andy.solitairepm@peverel.co.uk.
I will post again as soon as I can.
Thanks,
Andy
Solitaire Online Feedback Manager
Andy,
In view of the fact that this relates to Hampshire, may i suggest as an act of contrition and given the tragic loss of two brave firemen from Southampton You make a substantial donation to assist with the families of the deceased.
Incase anyone from Southampton is reading this, i was once a guest of Hampshire Fire Brigade and i wish to express my deepest sympathies for your terrible loss.
Andy
Could you inform everyone who visits this site what actions have been taken since you were fined to ensure ALL sites conform to current Fire Safety legislation and maybe you could inform your “Field Based” property managers to visit every site and report directly to your Health and Safety rep.
This is a matter of urgency and we would all be happy to know how you will address some of the problems all ready raised, that is non functioning fire alarm panels?
Andy
Your comment from above
“As I said last November I’d like to urge anyone with concerns about Health and Safety issues to get in contact with me – similarly for anyone wishing for further clarification.”
It is the responsibility of Peverel/Solitaire to ensure that risk assessments are carried out on each and every site they manage.A log must kept highlighting problems and potential problems and how they are to be dealt with.
I am sure you are not suggesting that leaseholders are responsible for this?
If the relevant risk assessments have been carried out the majority of risks should have been removed or reduced.
So when did the last risk assessments/re assessments take place?
As I commented earlier on this topic, there is NO fire risk assessment information, or any H&S info generally, on the notice board in the communal area of the block I live in.
So, as far as my particular development is concerned, the lessons learned (???) following the fines imposed on Solitaire last year by Hampshire Fire and Rescue Authority have NOT manifested themselves in the production of relevant (required…) information on display.
I’m wondering if this is down to an adminstrative error, or a computer glitch following the installation of new systems (i.e. the standard excuses)…???
There is also a bigger issue here.
If these assessments, especially the Fire Safety have not taken place then the block insurance is invalid. If a block was partially or totally destroyed God forbid who would pay for the rebuild?
If – God forbid – a block was damaged / destroyed, but had no valid insurance due to failings in fire risk assessment provisions by the managing agent, then surely the re-build costs would have to be met by said managing agent, as it is their fault that the insurance is invalid…??? Or do PevCo have separate insurance, to cover such an eventuality…???
So, next question: how many Peverel-managed developments possibly have invalid insurance policies, as a result of no current fire risk assessments being in place…??? Or for any other issues that are contrary to the T&C’s of the relevant insurance policy…???
I’m guessing “Andy” does not have this information readily to hand, and even if he does I suspect he wouldn’t be willing to share it on here…???
After recently going through my buildings accounts I see there is an item charged to the whole development for H&S consultancy via a 3rd party. I guess this is the assessment made to my development.
As for log books and risk assessment notices, I would have to check on the noticeboard, but I don’t remember seeing anything larger than a single A4 on there (I presume they would be multi-page). Could these items be kept in the cleaners cupboard, or do they have to be visible to residents? Maybe a silly question but I need to get my facts right before calling @ the PM
As for insurance invalidation, a scary thought, need to check that too. Now I need my own log book, to remember all the issues I am awaiting to hear back about!
Maybe the below link will help?
http://direct.gov.uk/en/groups/dg_di…/dg_074034.pdf
Link is no good, sorry will try again.
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/groups/dg_digitalassets/@dg/@en/documents/digitalasset/dg_074034.pdf
Sorry everyone the above link not relevant, however
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (FSO) came into effect in October 2006 and replaced over 70 pieces of fire safety law.
The FSO applies to all non-domestic premises in England and Wales, including the common parts of blocks of flats and houses in multiple occupation (HMOs). The law applies to you if you are:
responsible for business premises
an employer or self-employed with business premises
responsible for a part of a dwelling where that part is solely used for business purposes
a charity or voluntary organisation
a contractor with a degree of control over any premises
providing accommodation for paying guests
Under the FSO, the responsible person must carry out a fire safety risk assessment and implement and maintain a fire management plan.
I have contacted the Health and Safety executive for clarification but I believe the Fire Management plan has to be available for all to see, ie meet up points, exit points, fire extinguisher locations etc.
Unless we have a Fireman/woman who visits this site i will await a reply
Well, I stand to be corrected, but I’m pretty sure there is no current fire risk assessement or fire management plan for my block, or I assume the development as a whole (being 44 flats split between 5 blocks). Or if there is, there is currently no documentation available to view, which seems to be a requirement of the relevant legislation.
So, now I have to consider what to do: a) challenge my Property Manager, or b) advance directly to my local fire brigade, and potentially open a can of worms…..?????
Matt
In correspondence with Peverel I was informed they have a specific Health and Safety rep so maybe the first step should be the property manager.
I hate to say it but as you know it usually pays dividends to follow the management chain. That way if legal proceedings follow it is documented that you asked and that if on current form your requests were ignored.
I have always given them seven days to reply but due to the seriousness of this issue I guess is it is up to the individuals.
You could always find out who the local Fire Safety Officer is by popping into your local station that way you are prepared if you have no reply.
As Peverel have a Health and Safety rep he is already budgeted for and no additional costs should arise from this as it should already be in place.
Andy, Compass point is closed off building which should have no running water or electricity but even reminder after reminder nothing has been done to close them off. No insurance will cover such negligence and why we are here on TTAS site to remind you which is one of the services we pay for.
Can we have discount please so we can donate to TTAS?
ANDY, ELECTICITY IS A FIRE HAZARD ELEMENT FOR YOUR INFO.
Hi everyone,
As promised I have spoken to our Health & Safety Manager to get his response to some of the questions raised by “Jon”, “Matt” & “Jon Dyson” on Fire Risk Assessments. I have also heard back from the Divisional Property Manager regarding the Solitaire development in Plymouth mentioned in Admin’s posting.
Peverel Property Management’s Health & Safety Manager has been responsible for providing expert advice and training to our property managers on Health & Safety and Fire Safety legislation and compliance issues since he joined the company in 2003. Prior to Solitaire becoming part of Peverel Property Management in late 2008 they did not have a dedicated employee responsible for Health & Safety and Fire Safety compliance.
Our Health & Safety Manager told me that ‘The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974’ places a general duty on those responsible for places of work to protect the health, safety and welfare of employees as well as non-employees who may be affected. The Act applies to the common areas of residential properties, which are deemed to be places of work even if they are only used as such infrequently e.g. by contractors etc.
Underneath this Act are numerous pieces of secondary health and safety legislation. The most noteworthy Regulations are those which require a risk assessment to be undertaken such as ‘The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999’ for risk assessments of places of work (which would include the common parts of residential properties).
This assessment should identify the people at risk, the hazards present, and the actions which are ‘reasonably practicable’ to reduce the level of risk to an acceptable level. This assessment should be recorded, and steps taken to implement the identified actions.
In addition, he said that ‘The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005’ places a duty on those responsible to carry out a specific fire risk assessment. Again this assessment should identify who is at risk and what the (fire) hazards are. The assessment should have two focus areas: the measures required to reduce the risk of a fire starting, and the measures required to reduce the risks to people if a fire does start. Again, this assessment should be recorded and steps taken to implement the identified actions.
Unless there are no internal common areas on a residential property, in practice it makes more sense to carry out a combined Health, Safety and Fire Risk Assessment, which would form the foundation for managing health and safety in the common areas of a property. This assessment must then be reviewed periodically (e.g. annually or every two years depending on the level of risk).
Our Health & Safety Manager commented on questions raised by “Jon”, “Matt” & “Jon Dyson”:
1. The ‘Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005’ has no statutory requirement that a copy of the Fire Risk Assessment should be posted in communal areas of a block or development. The law simply places a duty on those responsible to carry out a Fire Risk Assessment as outlined above. Since the Order came into effect in October 2006, Property Managers have supplied a copy of Fire Risk Assessments to residents when requested. Typically these would be as part of formal discussions about the management of a development with representatives of an official Residents Association or with Directors of the many Resident Management Company (RMCs) whose buildings we have been appointed to manage.
2. The person responsible for Health & Safety for a building or development is the Property Manager. In the case of buildings or properties that are managed by a Right to Manage Company (RTMCo) or Resident Management Company (RMCs) the responsibility is shared between RTMCo or RMC Directors and their appointed Managing Agent.
The RTMCo or RMC Directors have overall responsibility as they employ the managing agent to act on their behalf but the managing agent, as the professional agent, is equally responsible as far as the law is concerned.
Therefore this general duty of a combined Health, Safety and Fire Risk Assessment would cover people employed by the RMC or RTMCo company (concierge, cleaners etc), as well as residents, contractors, and members of the public who use the common parts of a building or development.
The Fire Risk assessment would consider the internal communal areas. Local Fire Authorities across the country are responsible for enforcement of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order and carry inspections of a wide variety of places of work, including residential properties that we manage that come under the scope of the Order.
Our Health & Safety Manager has met with many Local Fire Officers over recent years when particular developments were inspected. Given the recent tragedies at council run buildings in Camberwell and Southampton we place great importance on not only working with Local Fire Officers but also ensuring that their advice and concerns are highlighted in the regular Fire Safety training that all our Property Managers receive. All Solitaire Property managers received both Health & Safety and Fire Safety Risk Assessment training last year.
3. Health & Safety Risk Assessments are carried out by a Property Manager themselves on simpler, more straightforward sites. For sites that have more complex electrical and mechanical equipment such as lifts, water pumps, communal heating boilers etc we employ a national Health & Safety Compliance provider to carry out the required Risk Assessments.
4. There are no set timescales for a review of Risk Assessments but it is the policy of Peverel Property Management to re-assess our managed properties every 2 years; or more frequently in the case of more complex sites where a higher level of risk has been identified. This has been discussed with many Fire Officers who have approved our approach.
5. Prior to Solitaire Property Management becoming part of PPM in late 2008 they carried out Fire Risk Assessment reports but we were concerned that the administration and record keeping of these reports was on occasions far less thorough that necessary. Therefore we commissioned the national Health & Safety Compliance provider to carry out updated Risk Assessments on all Solitaire developments at the end of last year. The vast majority of Solitaire properties have now been reassessed; the balance are being completed this month.
I can confirm, for example, that the development where “Matt” lives had a Risk Assessment undertaken in late February/ March 2010 by our national H&S provider as the last Risk Assessment Report we found in Solitaire’s records was a little over 3 years old.
6. Finally I can report back on the comments sent by a resident to Admin regarding the Solitaire development in Plymouth. The fire alarms in each apartment block is a combined system put in by the developer that monitors both the internal communal areas as well as individual apartments. The alarm is maintained by ADT Fire & Security PLC. When a fault was noted on the panel ADT F&S attended and confirmed that the issue related to a malfunction with a fire detecting sensor in one individual property owner’s flat. The system does not allow for the faulty sensor to be identified.
Their engineer reported that the overall alarm monitoring system is functioning and is not affected by this fault. The residents who the Regional Property Manager met last year were satisfied that their fire alarm was fully operational.
However our newly appointed Property Manager for this development will be discussing with residents the options open to us to resolve this issue in consultation with the maintenance contractor.
I hope my comprehensive reply will reassure everyone that we treat Health & Safety and Fire Safety issues extremely seriously as this is one of the most important areas of professional property management.
As always my email address is andy.solitairepm@peverel.co.uk.
Thanks,
Andy
Solitaire Online Feedback Manager
Andy
Well done but please note within The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 also specifies
Provision of information to employees:
The responsible person (ie the property manager) MUST provide his employees with comprehensible and relevant information on:
The risks identified by the risk assessment
The preventative and protective measures
The procedures and measures for serious and imminent danger.
Which is why Andy if you take this seriously you will make available in communal areas a copy of the Fire Risk assessment for each building/development.
Just do the right thing for a change and earn some respect
Andy – thanks for your comments. Good to know you are taking H&S seriously. I acknowledge your comments regarding the Risk Assessment undertaken in late February/ March 2010 for the development I live in.
I agree with Jon Dyson about you displaying copies of the relevant risk assessment for developments on the communal notice board/s. This would make more sense on a development-by-development basis than sending out individual copies as & when requested. My development has 44 flats, but only 5 communal notice boards, so it surely makes sense to run off 5 copies for display than potentially having to send out possibly many more, which of course would also incur postage costs. Plus we have large notice boards which are mostly empty – so why don’t you make use of the communal facilities provided, rather than letting the boards sit there on the wall, looking all unwanted…???
Whilst you’re at it, how about the current insurance policy certificate also being put up on the notice boards, so that everybody in each development can see exactly who the block is insured with, the expiry date of the policy, and….. the premium being paid.
In the meantime, perhaps you could arrange for a copy of the recent Risk Assessment completed for my development to be sent to me – you know my details. I’d be interested to see what it includes, and – more importantly – what (if any) risks it has identified.
Just an update. I live in a Solitaire/Peveral block in Swindon.
Smoke alarm outside my flat, battery missing for nearly 2 months. After I reported it to the fire brigade things happened, they claimed to have sent an engineer. They then said they have sent someoneone who has failed to gain access 3 times, odd that as the cleaners get access eaisily.Andy of course never bothers to reply.
I’ve also been trying to get decent TV reception for 2 years, now we are switched to digital the programmes are often unwatchable.
Dear All
Dear Mr. Dyson.
I have also requested the Fire Risk Assessment documents are forwarded to me, by our head of Health and Safety, at which time i can arrange to deliver these to you personally should you wish.
My apologies again.
Kind regards
This e-mail was forwarded to me on April 12th and despite several reminders our ex property manager has still not forwarded any info regarding H&S and Fire Risk Assessments.
Has anyone else received the relevant info for their development.
I also came across “RISK ASSESSMENT RESERVE” on our accounts for year ending December 2007 totalling £353.
So Andy not that I need your help but you charged for the service so where are our documents.
As per usual playing nice does not work so the legal route will now be followed.
Has anyone else noticed this addition to their 2007 accounts………… if they have their 2007 accounts!
Jon Dyson,
On 18 March I also asked for four H&S surveys and certificates but also have yet to receive them.
Although Peverel is struggling to produce evidence of these surveys and what they covered we have been charged £852 for them over the last three years. Our last service charge demand included another £200 reserve for ‘Health & Safety Costs’.
I’m not exactly sure what is Peverel’s forte but compliance is certainly not included.
On 15th April, I asked Andy (via comment posted above) to provide me with a copy of the Risk Assessment for my development, which he tells me was completed in February/ March 2010. To date I’ve not yet received anything for Andy (or anybody else) following this request.
To be honest, this comes as absolutely no surprise.
So Andy, where is the copy of the Risk Assessment I asked you for over a fortnight ago…??? Just how long does it take to run a copy off & put it in the post…??? Prove to me that the assessment was actually completed in Feb / March as you have advised, because until you provide this to me, I’m doubting it did actually happen…..
Oh, and I also asked for a copy of the current insurance policy certificate for my block to be put up on the notice board in the common area of my block – what is the point of having these boards, if relevant information (such as the insurance certificate) is not displayed on them…???
So, come on Andy, let me have the documentation I’ve asked for. Assuming it exists in the first place…..
Would like to see Fire risk assessment copy then check this out
http://www.flatforsaletender.co.uk
Go to property details and click the PDF file. Go to the last page and find 2 Photographs which actually are breach of the fire safety regulation. Can anyone explain why Peverel’s Solicitor has sent me a PDF file which I am suppose to enclose as a certificate which is actually is going to hinder or stop sale of my flat?
Another evidence of bad treatment of Nicky Vogg that some will say is pure from of bulling and there is no change in teh policy
Matt, Nicky and all
I will make it my first priority tommorrow to report the relevant information to the Fire Safety Officer and The Health and Safety Executive.
If everyone does the same maybe the momentum will cause an effect.
This issue as Peverel well know is could well lead to a loss of life and for whatever reason they are stalling. This simply will not do so please make it your priority too to report tham as soon as possible.
Bless you as no one listen to me as I am discredited human being.
If anybody is reporting then I have photographic evidence that
in 2007 when my flat was on sale for the first time there was a huge
box of papers and cloths under the staircase which remaine their
over a year. We have day time concerigue service who cleans. Why
no one removed it. My own bedroom window only exit if my hallway is
in fire is closed off to create bike stand. This is breach of the
by using access road. Anyone can check the lease as it is also on thesite.My request for the certificate was ignored.
Thank you Admin and Jon. Without you I would not have known what to do. Let us face it I have lost faith in the system ( listing no names) otherwise my problems would have been sorted by now. Complaint from concerned contributor/s to Fire Brigade may bring some results.
I am concerned for all of you if you have been charged for a certificate like mine. Certificates are suppose to give confidence that all is well not cause further stress and fear. If someone has not check the evidence so far then please go to the last page of the below link.
http://flatforsaletender.co.uk/resources/Fire%20Risk%20Assessment.pdf
I will let you know what is taking place if Tower Hamlet Fire Brigade have any suggestions to help us all.
I will be sending you soon an e-mail asking help otherwise I am stuck which must be uplifted.
oops misseed it E-mail is for Admin.
The Truth about the Fire Safety under Peveral Professional Trained Management Staff
I hereby give evidence as the words and performance is contradicting each other.
April 13th 2010 posting of Andy defending his company performance on fire safety:
“…..we treat Admin’s posting today extremely seriously.”……
“This prosecution was not about standards of fire safety at a development, nor about not failing to have a Fire Risk Assessment (which the property has had). It was simply because information was not supplied when it was requested.”
April 15th 2010 posting Andy further defends,
“Peverel Property Management’s Health & Safety Manager has been responsible for providing expert advice and training to our property managers on Health & Safety and Fire Safety legislation and compliance issues since he joined the company in 2003. Prior to Solitaire ………..”
“Our Health & Safety Manager told me that ‘The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974’ places a general duty on those responsible for places of work to protect the health, safety and welfare of employees as well as non-employees who may be affected”
Below is my evidence contradicting Andy above statements, as in my opinion the staff has limited knowledge of what is safe and what is not safe:
1. Andy Millennium Drive has been managed since 1998 by Peverel so please explain the fire safety neglect in our block when we pay dearly concierge service for 6 days a week.
2. The Fire Risk Assessment Certificate is in the link below, (PDF file which may take time to open):
a) It states, “ This report has been development on behalf of Connaught Compliance Services LTD. This Report remains the property of Connaught Compliance until payment has been received in full.”
Why it is printed on Peverel name and forwarded as a certificate to be a part of the sale info? Usually the above statement is withdrawn and the clean certificate is forwarded once the payment is made.
b) Why the report prints 2 combustible items’ photographs in the electric meter?
Did “Peverel Property Management’s Health & Safety Manager” approve the certificate?
On Friday 7 May 2010, on my instruction, the block was investigated by the Fire Brigade officer, who showed the Concierge CA further existing problems which are fire hazard. He insisted that the job must be done, therefore he made a point to show her directly:
A) All the electric store room door frame fixtures are fire risk.
B) All the Hallway windows on each floor openings are fire risk. The Concierge confirmed they have not been ever opened and she has no knowledge how to do it.
C) The eclectic gate has no budget key opening for the fire bridge to go out.
3. Your Company Health Safety Manager must explain why there was a box of combustible items left under the staircase in 2007/2008 for a year. It is evident no inspection was carried out during that period or the box was a part of the Fire Risk Assessment Certificate as staff has no knowledge what is fire risk items and what they are not.
It is clearly evident that Andy statements do not match the truth about the Fire Safety in Millennium Drive and I invite CBG to explain their incompetency and neglect.
We are charged for certificate that shows neglect, therefore, Peverel should be paying for the certificate from their own funds and refund our service charge account and new clean certificate must be produced.
Peverel action/non actions are reducing the valve of my property and probably off putting any potential buyers which I personally hold them responsible and liable.
Nicky
The best thing you can do and I would ask you to do it tommorrow is to take a copy of your above post to your local fire station and ask for it to be investigated or passed onto the Fire Safety Officer and insist that they come visit your development.
Regards
Jon
My above enty link is here for anyone to open. It takes a time to open
http://flatforsaletender.co.uk/resources/Fire%20Risk%20Assessment.pdf
Jon i have already had the block tested by teh Fire Brigade.
Thank you
Nicky
Good but did they find anything amiss and were they going to contact Solitaire?
Jon, yes they did.
This is the response from the Peverel solicitor,
“The document you refer to is the Fire Risk Assessment Report of 23rd April 2009 not a Fire Assessment Certificate. As such no Fire Assessment Certificate exists and nor is such a document required by the Regulatory Reform (Fire safety) Order 2005. The items pictured in the two photographs attached to Fire Risk Assessment Report have been removed and it would be inappropriate for us to doctor this report by removing these photographs.”
Usually the follow up inspection takes place second time to make sure every thing is OK by the contractor. The payment is done in full to the contractor and only then they issue the clean certificate/report by removing the statement which it still contains as listed below,
“This report has been development on behalf of Connaught Compliance Services LTD. This Report remains the property of Connaught Compliance until payment has been received in full.”
The report forwarded is not clean and also a private property, therefore, cannot be used for selling info. I am flabbergasted how PMC operates which is harming the leaseholder.
Service charge is paid for the services rendered. It is for making our lives better and not to make as living hell and aslo to lose money
Dear All
We have today recieved a cheque with no letter from Peverel for/on behalf of Solitaire Property Management refunding our Health and Safety assessment costs totalling £353.
This cost was attached to the 2007 service charge and after constant badgering for copies of these assessments our ex property manager agreed that they had not taken place.
All went quiet for weeks until the threat of an L.V.T and today, hey presto a cheque.
So please insist on copies of your assessments or demand a refund.
Jon – very interesting.
So you were charged for the Health & Safety assessments, even though they were never actually carried out? Surely that’s fraudulent…??? Perhaps “Andy” can explain how this can happen (i.e. a charge applied for something that hasn’t happened)…???
On the assumption the cheque you have received doesn’t bounce, they have refunded you the costs for the non-existent assessments, but that still doesn’t hide the fact that you were charged for a specific item which simply didn’t exist.
So, how many other developments have been billed for non-existent assessments…??? No doubt for Jon’s development this charging was an “administrative error” – wonder how many more of these “errors” have taken place…???
Matt
As we all know Solitaire make many “mistakes” and Andy will post his usual excuses.
It is only since going RTM and checking all the invoices etc that this came to life. We still have some things to look at and I will post as I can but it is important for all who are persuing RTM to get all their receipts and invoices from Peverel.
It may seem a daunting task but it is essential.
So please if you have them check your 2007 service charge for the health and safety charge and persue your property manager for copies of the assessments and hopefully a refund from Peverel Towers!