A plumbing contractor has been fined £20,000 and ordered to pay £8,270 in costs following a fire at a 14-storey residential development in Staines-upon-Thames, Surrey, which forced four workers to escape from the roof.

The incident occurred on 26 July 2024 at the Old Telephone Exchange development, where four subcontractors working under the control of Ramsgate-based C Watkins Plumbing Limited were installing an air source heat pump on the roof.

Sparks generated during welding activities ignited exposed rigid foam insulation that had been laid across the roof. The fire spread rapidly across the roof space before eventually burning out when the available fuel was exhausted.

All four workers managed to escape through a single opening in the roof floor, using a ladder to reach Level 14. However, the incident highlighted significant fire safety failings, including the absence of an alternative escape route, a means of raising the alarm and suitable fire extinguishers.

HSE investigation identifies fire safety failings

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that C Watkins Plumbing Limited had failed to adequately plan, manage and monitor the hot works being undertaken on the roof.

Despite company policies requiring appropriate safety procedures, no risk assessment or method statement had been prepared, and no Permit to Work had been issued for the welding activities.

The findings reinforce the importance of implementing effective fire safety management procedures, particularly when carrying out high-risk activities such as welding in areas containing combustible materials.

The HSE's guidance, HSG168 – Fire Safety in Construction, outlines the need to consider fire safety throughout the design, procurement and construction stages of a project.

The guidance emphasises the importance of identifying activities that could increase the likelihood of fire or contribute to rapid fire spread, alongside ensuring that suitable emergency arrangements and evacuation procedures are in place.

Risk assessments and associated control measures must also be regularly reviewed throughout the construction phase to ensure they remain appropriate and effective as work progresses.

Company pleads guilty to safety breach

On 29 October, C Watkins Plumbing Limited, based at Watkins House, Leigh Road, Haine Industrial Park, Ramsgate, Kent, pleaded guilty at Staines Magistrates' Court to breaching Regulation 15(2) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015.

The company was fined £20,000 and ordered to pay £8,270 in costs.

Importance of effective fire safety management

The incident serves as an important reminder of the need for robust fire risk assessments, appropriate control measures and effective emergency procedures throughout construction projects.

Hot works present a significant fire risk, particularly where combustible materials are present. Ensuring that these activities are properly assessed, authorised and monitored is essential to protecting workers and preventing fires.

Effective planning, suitable fire safety provisions and clear evacuation arrangements are fundamental to maintaining safe working environments and meeting legal responsibilities.

HSE inspector Stephanie Hickford-Smith said: “C Watkins Plumbing Limited failed to follow its own procedures for ‘hot works’. The company did not assess the risks and so had no control measures in place.”

Hickford-Smith added: “The four men working on the roof were lucky to escape. Had the fire started closer to their escape route, or had they not acted as quickly as they did, then the outcome could have been devastatingly different.”

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