Venues across the North East have been issued with a stark warning over the safety of artificial flowers and foliage following the deaths of two diners in Spain.
Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service (TWFRS) have asked businesses to take precautions in light of the tragedy at a Madrid restaurant in April. The blaze broke out when staff flambéed food and artificial flowers decorating the venue caught fire.
TWFRS carried out a visit at one bar in Newcastle city centre last month where similar artificial foliage was present, all of which were believed to meet industry standards. However, the service said that when they tested the flammability of the flowers in their training yard, they caught fire at an alarming rate.
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Now fire safety officers have called on businesses across the region to take extra precautions to ensure they are not putting themselves at increased risk of a fire.
Chris Lane, head of fire safety at TWFRS, said the service is already working with local authority licencing partners to offer businesses support.
“We were devastated to read about the tragedy in Madrid and our thoughts are with the victims and their families," he said.
“There have been fires in the UK in the last year of a similar nature and often it is through good fortune that nobody has been hurt or killed. We don’t want to be in a position where a fire of this nature takes place in our region and simply want to offer businesses support in risk assessing their premises.
“Many businesses may adorn their ceilings with decorative flowers, have walls of fake shrubbery, or even have an artificial tree as a centre piece to their building.
“The concern we have is that when we tested some of these artificial decorations they quickly went up in flames, despite claims they are fire retardant. We are working with local authorities to ensure businesses have the appropriate support and understanding fire safety legislation on this particular issue.
“We also regularly carry out audits of premises in the region and will offer advice if we encounter any decorations we think warrant additional testing.”
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