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11/12/2003
Councillor makes Christmas safety plea
Bar and niteclub owners in the North West area have been urged to make safety their number one priority this Christmas.
Councillor Paul Fleming, Chairman of Derry City Council's Environmental Services Committee, said he was appealing to licensees to be extra vigilant and safety conscious over Christmas and New Year and to ensure their safety arrangements are in place well before the celebrations begin.
Councillor Fleming says the onus is on premises owners to check appliances such as fire extinguishers, emergency lighting and fire alarms were in good working order.
"Exit doors and escape routes should be checked daily to ensure that they are free from locks and obstructions and available for use when the premises are open to the general public," Mr Fleming said.
"Particular attention should be given to the external face of emergency exit doors to ensure that no vehicles or other physical obstructions such as skips are impacting upon safe escape.
"In recent times Council officers have detected such items as skips and vehicles parked in front of the external face of exit doors. Licensees should ensure that exit signs are always illuminated and bulbs must be replaced at regular intervals, these defects are totally unacceptable and could have disastrous consequences should an emergency evacuation be necessary from any premises."
Councillor Fleming said the Council has stepped up its programme of inspections by carrying out unannounced spot checks of premises leading up to and during the festive season and appealed to members of the general public and the business community to make safety their number one priority this year.
Licensees found to be in breach of licensing conditions may find themselves liable to prosecution.
Any licensee convicted of a breach of the terms and conditions of an entertainment licence faces a fine of up to £5,000, or if convicted for overcrowding, a fine of up to £20,000 or up to 6 months imprisonment or both. The higher penalties also apply to anyone convicted of providing entertainment without a licence.
(MB)
Councillor Paul Fleming, Chairman of Derry City Council's Environmental Services Committee, said he was appealing to licensees to be extra vigilant and safety conscious over Christmas and New Year and to ensure their safety arrangements are in place well before the celebrations begin.
Councillor Fleming says the onus is on premises owners to check appliances such as fire extinguishers, emergency lighting and fire alarms were in good working order.
"Exit doors and escape routes should be checked daily to ensure that they are free from locks and obstructions and available for use when the premises are open to the general public," Mr Fleming said.
"Particular attention should be given to the external face of emergency exit doors to ensure that no vehicles or other physical obstructions such as skips are impacting upon safe escape.
"In recent times Council officers have detected such items as skips and vehicles parked in front of the external face of exit doors. Licensees should ensure that exit signs are always illuminated and bulbs must be replaced at regular intervals, these defects are totally unacceptable and could have disastrous consequences should an emergency evacuation be necessary from any premises."
Councillor Fleming said the Council has stepped up its programme of inspections by carrying out unannounced spot checks of premises leading up to and during the festive season and appealed to members of the general public and the business community to make safety their number one priority this year.
Licensees found to be in breach of licensing conditions may find themselves liable to prosecution.
Any licensee convicted of a breach of the terms and conditions of an entertainment licence faces a fine of up to £5,000, or if convicted for overcrowding, a fine of up to £20,000 or up to 6 months imprisonment or both. The higher penalties also apply to anyone convicted of providing entertainment without a licence.
(MB)
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