Housing association criticised for removing fire extinguishers at Shrewsbury flats

Severnside Housing, which manages more than 4,000 properties, has written to concerned Shrewsbury resident Gretchen Atkinson to explain its decision to remove fire extinguishers from Quarry View Flats in Shrewsbury.

The extinguishers were based in communal areas at the flats.

A letter to Mrs Atkinson said the decision had followed a review of the association's properties.

It said; "We have recently undertaken new Fire Risk Assessments (FRAs) to our stock, including the communal area of your block which, as your landlord we are duty bound to undertake. The FRAs have identified a variety of works which are required, including the removal of the equipment referred to.

"The fire fighting equipment (FFE) in question poses a risk of harm if untrained persons attempt to use this equipment on the incorrect type of fire or event. For example if there is an electrical fire and an untrained person uses and incorrect type of FFE they put themselves at significant risk of harm and in some cases, depending on the type of fire, a risk of spreading a fire further."

Severnside Housing would not confirm if it had removed all fire extinguishers from its properties.

A spokesman said: "We have recently completed fire risk assessments on our properties using an independent specialist adviser and we are implementing their recommendations."

Mrs Atkinson, who owns a flat in the building with her husband Roy, but is not a Severnside tenant, said she had been told by workers that the extinguishers were being removed because "people don't know how to use them".

Mrs Atkinson said: "My concern is there are some very old people in this part of the building as well as children and that would probably be the first line of defence if there was a kitchen fire.

"I am not as concerned as we can afford to have them inside our own flat."

She added: "I just said I can't believe they are doing this. They said that no one knows how to use them. It looks like saving money and not lives. It is a complete disregard for safety, it just seems crazy."

However, a Shropshire Fire and Rescue safety officer said that there were reasons that an organisation would take the same decision.

They explained that there should be nothing that could start a fire in a communal area of a shared building and that residents who have had a fire start in their flat should never go into a communal area to fetch a fire extinguisher then return to the scene of the fire.

They said the first move in the event of a fire should be to leave the property and call the fire brigade.