{"id":71111,"date":"2020-02-03T09:50:49","date_gmt":"2020-02-03T09:50:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pbctoday.co.uk\/news\/?p=71111"},"modified":"2020-02-03T09:50:49","modified_gmt":"2020-02-03T09:50:49","slug":"fire-safety-failings-trinity-halls","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pbctoday.co.uk\/news\/health-safety-news\/fire-safety-failings-trinity-halls\/71111\/","title":{"rendered":"Trio handed \u00a3670k fines over fire safety failings at Leeds student block"},"content":{"rendered":"

Trinity Developments, Niche Homes and APP Construction have been fined \u00a3670,000 over \u2018potentially catastrophic\u2019 fire safety failings at the Trinity Halls student accommodation in Leeds<\/h2>\n

Judge Mairs at Leeds Crown Court heard how Trinity Halls on Woodhouse Street in Leeds had only one available fire escape which was compromised due to combustible materials<\/a>, putting at serious risk the 27 students who had moved in, in September 2016.<\/p>\n

The court heard the students had moved into the Trinity Halls building on the upper ground floor while other floors were still under construction. There were a string of other failures which contributed to the significant risk including lack of appropriate fire alarms and detection, exposed timber framing, the storage of flammable items on stairwells and no markings indicating fire escape routes.<\/p>\n

The court also heard that a lack of fire alarms and detection within the building meant that in the event of a fire, students would not have had early warning to evacuate the building and upon evacuation, some students would have had to travel 35 metres to get to the nearest fire escape, almost double the recommended limit of 18 metres.<\/p>\n

Fire safety failings exposed<\/h3>\n

The failings came to light in September 2016 after a concerned father called West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service<\/a> (WYFRS) to report the building. He had been dropping his daughter off to live there, but became concerned by the state of the premises and would not let his daughter stay.<\/p>\n

Following this report, inspectors from West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service attended the building and discovered breaches in legislation. Inspectors then issued a prohibition order meaning students had to vacate the property for their own safety.<\/p>\n

Judge Mairs described the situation as having the \u201cpotential for catastrophe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trinity Halls safety breaches<\/h3>\n

Trinity Developments Ltd, the owners of the building, admitted four safety breaches. Niche Homes Ltd, contracted to manage and let the property, also admitted the same four breaches.<\/p>\n

These included:<\/h4>\n