According to the findings of fire safety inspectors regarding the Bibby Stockholm housing vessel, the government needs to undertake five major changes to the vessel, due to the danger it poses in the event of a fire outbreak on the vessel.
The critical fire assessments were carried on by the Dorset and Wiltshire fire department after the vessel welcomed its first occupants some few weeks ago.
The assessment revealed that, the vessel poses threat to lives, due to insufficient fire exits, lack of fire drills, and issues with ventilators, require immediate repairs.
“The audit identified that some people were at risk in case of fire and improvements are required to provide additional safety. The improvements should be completed within 1 months (sic) of this letter.”
Safety Inspectors Audit.
The report was convened to the Home Office and contractors of the vessel, Landry and King.
According to the writer of the report, he demanded that, the barge must be given an alternative escape path, connecting from the stern of the ship to the canteen.
“The provision of exits from the canteen/dining room is inadequate for the number of people who may be required to use them. This means that people may not be able to escape safely in case of fire.”
Safety Inspectors Audit.
The findings further directed the contractors to install easily openable handles on the doors of 10 bedrooms. It added that “people requiring to use these doors in an emergency may not be able to open them easily, preventing them from escaping safely.”
Additionally, the findings required that, there must be a vent that can be manually opened by fire crews, at the barge’s two primary escape routes.
“Protected stairways require a means to ventilate any residual smoke that may enter the stairway during evacuation or firefighting operations.”
Safety Inspectors Audit.
It pressed that, the barge would need a new fire resistance wall, because, “fire and smoke could spread rapidly from the store which could enter the escape routes and make them unsafe for people to use, exposing them to harm.”
The Home Office had previously sidelined cautions from Dorset firefighters that, the vessel could be a death trap. Sources revealed that, the Home Office plans to send addition migrants to the barge, despite the findings made by the fire department.
According to Home Secretary Suella Braverman, the government has adhered to the necessary protocols “in anticipation of embarkation”. Her assessment comes in direct contradiction to what the fire safety report communicated.
“Let me be clear that I’m confident barges are safe. This barge has accommodated people in the past asylum seekers, oil rig workers and barges of this kind have been used to accommodate asylum seekers, for example in Scotland, so I’m very confident that this barge is safe for human habitation. We followed all of the advice and protocols in anticipation of embarkation.”
Suella Braverman, Home Office Secretary.
However, Tim Naor Hilton, the chief executive of Refugee Action, stated that, the government shouldn’t force anyone to bore vessel.
“No one should be forced to live cheek by jowl on what is effectively a prison ship even if it was 100% fire safe. But it’s appalling that ministers were happy to put people’s safety at risk and move them on to a boat that had insufficient fire escapes, problems with air vents and no strategy to conduct drills.
“The Bibby Stockholm has become a floating statue of the government’s failed strategy of cruelty. This plan must be scrapped and people housed with dignity in our communities.”
Naor Hilton, the chief executive of Refugee Action.
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