More on Fire Risks in Prisons

 

Last night I finished watching the excellent if harrowing BBC series on the 1988 Piper Alpha disaster- a tragic and catastrophic case study of what can happen if safety concerns are not properly identified and addressed.

Today I read that there’s still a “significant fire risk” to the women who reside in 15 houses at Styal prison according to the local watchdog.  In their annual report for 2024-5, the Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) says that despite some work to improve fire safety, the Crown Premises Fire Safety Inspectorate (CPFSI) has issued two enforcement notices after identifying areas of concern, particularly with regard to asbestos in boiler rooms, and compartmentalisation of the houses, leaving no natural fire breaks. The fire risks at Styal have been reported for at least four years. 

A “Mini Fire Safety Improvement project” is underway to provide wired, automated detection in 27 cells to support the Governor in managing fire starters. This is much needed given that there were 26 cell fires at the prison last year up from six in the previous year.

But much more work is obviously needed. The IMB ask the Prison Service in their report what additional resource will be made available to mitigate the serious fire safety concerns they’ve highlighted.  

What’s happening at Styal looks a microcosm of what’s happening across the prison estate- a troubling increase in prison fires, some welcome remedial fire safety work going on but not at the required scale or speed.

Styal also illustrates weaknesses in inspection processes. In 2022-3 the IMB  reported that the houses there were  now fully compliant with fire safety regulations. That seems to have been wrong and misleading.

They now report that CPFSI issued two notices last year but not whether they have been complied with. The Styal notices don’t appear at all in  the register on the CPFSI website which significantly understates the number of notices issued in respect of prisons.

Shortcomings in safety inspections was one of the findings of Lord Cullen’s inquiry into the Piper Alpha disaster. What would he make of the arrangements for prisons?