Urgent Call for Common
Stairwells to be Cleared
of Clutter
Property management
company Ross + Liddell
has called for residents
to clear their common
stairwells of clutter as
a matter of urgency.
Following the recent
rescue by fire-fighters
of 14 residents from a
block of flats at
Fountainbridge,
Edinburgh, after vandals
set fire to furniture in
a stairwell, the company
has issued a warning
about the danger
resulting from items
such as bicycles being
left on stair landings
which might obstruct
evacuation in the event
of fire.
John Brolly, director of
property management at
Ross + Liddell, said,
‘We are becoming
increasingly concerned
by the tendency for
residents to place small
items of furniture on
stair landings and would
ask all proprietors to
consider whether these
items represent an
obstruction and, if so,
arrange to have them
removed.’
According to Mr Brolly,
it is common practice
for superfluous
furniture to be
deposited in a common
stairwell with little
thought given to the
implications for fire
safety.
He said, ‘Not only do
such items create
obvious safety problems
if set alight by an
arsonist, but they can
also impede the speed of
evacuation from a fire
arising in a
neighbouring property.
That’s why we would urge
all proprietors and
residents of tenemental
properties to heed fire
safety advice and clean
their stairwells of any
clutter. A quick tidy up
can save lives.’
ENDS
For further information
please contact John
Brolly at Ross & Liddell
tel 0141 221 9266
Issued on behalf of Ross
& Liddell by Blueprint
Media tel 0141 353 1515
Date 23rd
September 2005
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