Insurer Norwich Union is urging pub landlords to check their fire precautions following last week’s surprise announcement from JD Wetherspoon calling for a ban on smoking across all of its 640 pubs.
Insurer Norwich Union is urging pub landlords to check their fire precautions following last week’s surprise announcement from JD Wetherspoon calling for a ban on smoking across all of its 640 pubs.
John Smeaton, head of property underwriting at Norwich Union, said: "A total ban on smoking inside a building brings a new risk of fire caused by smokers gathering outside – or can even lead to surreptitious smoking.
"With the UK Government looking to follow Ireland’s no-smoking lead, landlords should be putting provisions in place to properly manage both risks.
"Our experience shows that nearly 10% of all fires resulting in loss of life and damage to property in bars, pubs and restaurants are caused by discarded cigarettes – and it’s an easy area to overlook.š
"Pub and restaurant owners need to carefully assess the risks of people smoking outside their premises, particularly if there are rubbish bins or storage areas nearby.
"A designated area outside or a covered shelter should be provided, of non-combustible construction and equipped with bins or sand buckets specifically designed for smokers’ waste to allow cigarettes to be put out properly rather than discarded at random.
"Waste smoking materials must not be disposed of with general rubbish, where they could smoulder and set light to it.
"An inspection of the buildings for smouldering cigarettes or matches should be carried out by designated employees at the close of each working day, as most large fires in commercial premises occur at night, often as a result of carelessly discarded cigarette ends or cleaners emptying cigarette ends into bags containing combustible waste.
"We would advise all pub and restaurant owners to take advice from their insurance providers."
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š The Fire Protection Association Library of Fire Safety, Yearbook 2003.
For further information, please contact:
Alison Owen or Debbie Wells at Staniforth on 0161 274 0100 or
David Ross at Norwich Union on 08703 66 68 65/07786 526350.
Notes to editors
- Norwich Union is the UK's largest insurer with a market share of around 14%
- With a focus on insurance for individuals and small businesses, Norwich Union insures:
- one in five households
- one in seven motor vehicles
- more than 800,000 businesses
- Norwich Union products are available through a variety of distribution channels including brokers, corporate partners such as banks and building societies and Norwich Union Direct
- Norwich Union’s news releases and a selection of images are available on the Aviva internet press centre at www.aviva.com/media
- An ISDN facility is available for studio quality broadcast. Call the press office on 08703 66 68 68
- For all life & pensions media enquiries 08703 66 68 73
- For all other media enquiries 08703 66 68 68