Three fire service bosses were arrested yesterday in connection with a warehouse blaze that killed four fire-fighters.
According to The Times, the fire occurred at a vegetable packing plant in Warwickshire and resulted in the deaths of Ian Reid,44, Darren Yates-Badley, 24, Ashley Stephens, 20, and John Averis, 27, who were attempting to tackle the blaze at Atherstone on Stour in 2007.
It is understood that the three men being questioned are managers that played a commanding and organisational role in tackling the fire. All three were questioned under suspicion of gross negligence, manslaughter and offences under the Health and Safety at Work Act.
Sixteen fire engines and eighty fire-fighters tackled the blaze which lasted more than five hours, with flames spiralling hundreds of feet into the air. Mr Stephens, Mr Averis, and Mr Yates-Badley were reported missing and found dead in the smouldering remains of the building after an extensive search. Mr Reid died in hospital after the plant’s roof collapsed while he was inside.
Evidence from a joint investigation by the police and the Health and Safety Executive suggests that there may have been systematic failings regarding the incident.
The arrest of the fire service bosses clearly indicates that there is a belief that they may have put fire-fighters in to a dangerous position unnecessarily, or that the instructions that they provided to their staff were negligent. Under the Health and Safety at Work Act there is a requirement that employers ensure the health, safety and welfare of their employees, so far as is reasonably practicable. This means that, even though the job of a fire-fighter is one which involves a high risk of injury, their employers are expected to take all reasonable steps to ensure their safety. This can be done through training or providing the correct working equipment, but it also involves the instructions that they give to their employees. If it is found that there was a way to operate without endangering the lives of the fire-fighters who died, then the bosses would be potentially culpable for their actions, although I am sure regard would be had to the severity of the fire and the requirement to make quick decisions to try and curtail the blaze.
