Thriving communities need productive and resilient businesses, and fires do damage to both.

The government estimates the average total cost from a fire in a non-dwelling building to be £124,200 (HMG Home Office, 2023).

There are 465,000 people employed within York and North Yorkshire. Eight percent of businesses are in the accommodation and food services sectors which reflects York and North Yorkshire’s tourism economy (York and North Yorkshire LEP, 2023).

Our Protection department works with employers and the owners of buildings to ensure
that they are compliant with regulations to protect them from fire. We follow a risk-based inspection programme to focus on places where our work will have the most impact. For example, we ensure we audit buildings like hospitals and care homes, where a fire could cause serious harm.

Our aim is always to work constructively with businesses to improve fire safety in public buildings.

Where breaches in legislation are serious or attempts to remedy them are not being made, we will take enforcement action including prosecuting responsible people.