Business owner in Thame fined for a series of fire safety breaches

The owner of a kitchen worktop manufacturer in Thame has been sentenced to an eight-month custodial sentence, suspended for 18 months and has been ordered to carry out 150 hours unpaid work for breaches of fire safety legislation that put lives in danger. Sentencing took place at Oxford Crown Court on Monday 15 September 2025, following conviction at Oxford Magistrates Court earlier this year (Thursday 24 July 2025).

Fire safety inspectors from Oxfordshire County Council’s fire and rescue service visited the premises in February 2023. They found that the business owner, Mr Zdzislaw Fircowicz, had failed to ensure there was an adequate risk assessment of fire, failed to protect escape routes in case of fire, and failed to provide a working fire alarm and detection system.

The business was operating within an industrial unit where staff were being allowed to sleep on the mezzanine floor, without adequate fire safety arrangements in place.

A fire safety audit was conducted under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, and inspectors found that the premises were so dangerous that they were left with no alternative but to prohibit the use of the building for sleeping until safety measures were improved.

As a consequence, they ordered the immediate removal of the occupants of the flats on safety grounds by use of a prohibition notice, so that it could not to be used for sleeping.

An investigation resulted in Mr Fircowicz being found guilty of four charges under the fire safety legislation. He was also ordered to pay a total of £2,500 in costs.

Councillor Jenny Hannaby, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Community Services and Safety, said: “Businesses that ‘cut corners’ not only put the public and environment at risk, but they gain an unfair advantage over their competitors. This is made even worse when it relates to such important fire safety requirements.”

Jody Kerman, Head of Oxfordshire County Council’s Prevention, Protection and Trading Standards teams, said: “Through the use of both targeted inspections and from acting on complaints, our fire safety inspectors are finding an increasing number of businesses where there is unsafe and inappropriate sleeping accommodation and a lack of fire safety measures being implemented. This is a very dangerous mix and, as this case shows, we will not hesitate to take action to ensure the safety of occupants, residents and customers.”

Issuing of a prohibition notice restricts the use of any premises providing accommodation that does not meet the accepted standards of fire safety. Responsible persons – business owners or employers – must accept that they have a duty of care to ensure the accommodation they provide is safe and suitable.

Any businessperson or employee can seek fire safety advice by emailing [email protected].

Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service’s vision is to work every day to save and improve the lives of people across the county.

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