Firefighters fatalities at fires report in the UK

(3 February 2015) This report on firefighters mortality at fires in the UK has been commissioned by our colleagues from the UK Firefighters Brigade Union. The report establishes the link between austerity and cuts in budgets of firefighting services and the impact on occupational health and safety. In Britain since 2010, according to reports , there have been over 5000 firefighter jobs lost, 39 fire stations closed and response times increased therefore substantially.

It contains some useful policy recommendations for the UK of which some of them are very relevant in the European context, in particular on the importance of health and safety regulations- their relevance, applicability and useful contribution to the prevention of economic and social costs for firefighters.

The report is drawing on interviews with firefighters themselves as well as inquiries, inspection reports and trial papers, provides detailed recommendations to address the continuing threat of firefighter fatalities at fires. Brigade fatality investigations rarely, if ever, identify and acknowledge the direct and indirect roles that central and senior local government and brigade managers play in such events. Yet these bodies and their ‘directors’ are ultimately responsible for regulations, budgets, staffing, systems, training, equipment and resources, information, procedures and specific standard operating procedures that firefighters use. Budgets cuts in training, staffing, equipment and fire stations and continued operational duties of much older firefighters may also have serious impacts on firefighter safety at fires. These impacts may not emerge for some time. It is neither cost-effective nor morally acceptable to cut vital fire services in ways that may endanger both public and firefighter safety. It is very easy to lose sight of the causes of public sector expenditure cuts, who was responsible for them ( in the global financial markets) and how we now choose to prioritise our spending in the light of such cuts for example in fire services.

-COVER LETTER



- REPORT



- SUMMARY NOTE