Company director ordered to pay over £2,000 by Merthyr Tydfil Magistrates

Mr. Alireza Ghaibi, of Dragon Pizza, was ordered to pay the sum of £2,450 after failing to respond to information requests made by South Wales Fire and Rescue Authority (SWFRA) relating to breaches of fire safety within the property.

In March 2021, Business Fire Safety Officers from South Wales Fire and Rescue Service (SWFRS) conducted an inspection at Dragon Pizza, 10 High Street Pontypridd, to which Mr. Ghaibi was the company director. The inspection identified inadequate fire safety provisions at the premises, resulting in an enforcement notice being issued under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. The notice detailed the necessary remedial work required to make the premises safe.

An investigation undertaken by SWFRS’ compliance team identified Mr. Ghaibi identified as the Company Director of Dragon Pizza. Throughout the investigation, requests were made for information relating to the fire safety provisions within the premises. These requests were continually ignored and SWFRA had no option but to pursue the matter through the courts.

Mr. Ghaibi was subsequently summoned to attend Merthyr Tydfil Magistrates Court on 10 August 2022. Mr. Justin Davies, of Hugh James, Cardiff, acting on behalf of South Wales Fire and Rescue Authority laid out the case against the defendant.

Mr. Ghaibi was found guilty of three offences under Article 27 of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and was fined a total of £2,450 including costs.

This fine could have been avoided if Mr. Ghaibi had simply responded with the required information to South Wales Fire and Rescue Service. The investigation into the fire safety contraventions is still ongoing.

Head of Business Fire Safety for South Wales Fire and Rescue Service Group Manager St. John Towell, said:

“Our role is to enforce fire safety legislation in premises that fall within the scope of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and to ensure that these premises are safe.

“We do this by working with businesses across South Wales to support them to protect their business from risk. In this instance, we went out of our way to seek out basic information to enable us to follow legal protocols.

“The court viewed this matter to be so serious that they found the defendant guilty and imposed a fine. As you can see in this case, the fines and costs received are solely attributed to the failure to provide information. This is a clear message to members of the business community that they need to respond to formal requests made by South Wales Fire and Rescue Service.”

For more information about the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, its impact on your business and how our Business Fire Safety Department can work with your business, please visit: https://www.southwales-fire.gov.uk/your-safety-wellbeing/in-business/