Sir, – One can only imagine the horror being experienced by the residents of Priory Hall after the High Court’s order to vacate the apartment block on grounds of inadequate fire safety precautions (Home News, October 18th).
To prevent this happening again it will be necessary to introduce a system of regulation that will confirm that the fire safety design is in compliance with the fire safety certificate and that a system of fire safety management has been established.
This could be verified by independent chartered engineers who are not members of the developer’s design team. The system proposed above would not require a local authority staff increase.
Local authorities grant fire safety certificates which must be complied with in full. There is an ongoing requirement for the inspection, recording and maintenance of all fire safety systems. As a chartered engineer practising in fire safety I regularly advise clients on the importance of compliance with fire safety statutes and regulations .
Apartment management committees and management companies must have these records available for inspection. This is not alone a statutory requirement but also creates a safer environment and assists in the protection of life and property. – Yours, etc,