We strongly encourage anyone spotting any breach of practice to either engage with the premises manager or to notify the local fire brigade. Here are some examples and the cost to rectify the issues which have been sent in to Firescout.

Mental block

Mental block

Danger Score4.8/5

"I'm no expert but I'm sure these doors should be clear, shouldn't they?"

Possible fine?Yes

Cost to remedy?£0.00

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Spotted:2013-05-14

Posted by:Hannah

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" " In emergencies, evacuees will promptly make their way to the nearest fire exit. If this is blocked or inaccessible it will cause confusion and possibly cause an acident in itself. The last thing you want is people trying to find an alternative exit or having to bring people back in to the building to help the injured, so keep the area clear at all times.

No sign of fire safety

No sign of fire safety

Danger Score4.1/5

"I only just noticed this extinguisher here this morning. Not even sure if it should be here?"

Possible fine?Yes

Cost to remedy?£34.00

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Spotted:2013-05-12

Posted by:Laura

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" " A fire survey will let you know where your extinguishers should be positioned and what type they should be. You should have them mounted or on a base, with the correct signage. It must be obvious as to where the extinguisher should permanently reside so it's easy to maintain and to find in case of emergency.

Sitting duck

Sitting duck

Danger Score3.1/5

"These exposed wires were left under my desk - my chair is looking a bit worse for wear too!"

Possible fine?Yes

Cost to remedy?£65.00

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Spotted:2013-05-05

Posted by:Dwayne

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" " Exposed electrical cables are both a trip hazard and a fire hazard, tempting spillages and damage to the wires. Also, when the foam of a chair is exposed, there's a chance that the fire proofing will have no effect, making it more dangerous in the event of a fire.

Seal the light of day

Seal the light of day

Danger Score4.4/5

"I noticed our firedoors had gaps between them - isn't that as good as them being open?!"

Possible fine?Yes

Cost to remedy?£18.99

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Spotted:2013-04-30

Posted by:Daz

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" " Firedoors help stop the spread of fire through a building. Having gaps between doors or between a door and the frame will increase the amount of oxygen, and ultimately flames, that can pass through to the next area of the building. Seals can help to prevent this, and will stop both the fire and smoke and can usually be fitted with minimal fuss.

Too many extinguishers will spoil the broth

Too many extinguishers will spoil the broth

Danger Score4.6/5

"The fire exit was block by no other than... fire products!"

Possible fine?Yes

Cost to remedy?£0.00

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Spotted:2013-04-25

Posted by:Jane

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" " Fire exits should be clear and accessible at all times. In the event of an emergency, such as a fire breaking out, there's a good chance people will want to quickly evacuate the area. Blocking fire exits with anything is bad enough, but by putting extinguishers there they are not properly wall mounted or placed on a holder, meaning they are not in the location that trained staff or fire officers would expect them to be if they had to use them.

Somebody screwed up

Somebody screwed up

Danger Score4.4/5

"These firedoors were held open by a workman with his screwdrivers!"

Possible fine?Yes

Cost to remedy?£198.00

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Spotted:2013-04-22

Posted by:Richard

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" " It's inevitable that sometimes a firedoor will need to be held open, especially when work is being carried out in the area. But it's your responsibility that everyone complies with fire safety regulations in your building, even contract workers. Screwdrivers might not be as bad as moving fire extinguishers to hold a door open, but there must be a retainer with a release mechanism in place. Screwdrivers will also make it very hard to close the door quickly if they get stuck, allowing a fire to spread quickly.

No time to hang around

No time to hang around

Danger Score3.6/5

"I found this random fire extinguisher near my door..."

Possible fine?No

Cost to remedy?£0.00

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Spotted:2013-04-11

Posted by:Sarah

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" " It's vital that fire extinguishers are hung on their hooks or placed in their stands correctly so that in the event of a fire breaking out they can be located and used quickly. It will also reduce the chances of the extinguishers being tampered with or accidentally damaged.

Fire safety hits rock bottom

Fire safety hits rock bottom

Danger Score4.2/5

"The warning had been ignored... this fire door was being held open by no less than a lump of granite!"

Possible fine?Yes

Cost to remedy?£99.00

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Spotted:2013-04-01

Posted by:Shane

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" " It's usually a fire extinguisher that's used to incorrectly hold open firedoors, but in this case it was a large rock. But regardless, firedoors should only ever be held open by a device that has a proper release mechanism, such as the Dorgard retainer.

J hook, line and sinker

J hook, line and sinker

Danger Score4.4/5

"This extinguisher was placed against the wall with its hook still strapped to the handle with an elastic band."

Possible fine?No

Cost to remedy?£5.00

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Spotted:2013-03-22

Posted by:Walter

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" " There is a good reason to commission fire extinguishers. For those that do not know, the silver object under the squeeze handle is a J hook to hang the new extinguisher on, with it still being in the way, even if you remove the safety pin you can not operate the squeeze handle.

A door left open to fire risk

A door left open to fire risk

Danger Score5.0/5

"I spotted this fire door being held open with an extinguisher... the sign was blatantly ignored!"

Possible fine?Yes

Cost to remedy?£99.00

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Spotted:2013-03-18

Posted by:Ian

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" " Firedoors must be kept closed at all times, unless you have a proper fire door retainer that will close the door for you when an alarm sound. Not only are you creating a hazard with the fire door, allowing fire to spread quickly through a building, but you are also moving an extinguisher from its proper position.