Crews from Staffordshire Fire and Rescue were alerted to the fire by Fox’s staff at 2.40pm. Two appliances arrived at the scene at 2.57pm.
The fire at the factory was caused by an overheated air conditioning unit, according to a spokesman from Staffordshire Fire and Rescue.
“A fire was reported in the canteen at 2.40pm and we sent two appliances from Longton, which arrived at 2.57pm,” said the spokesman.
‘Tackle the blaze’
“Two firefighters wearing breathing apparatus used one hose reel jet to tackle the blaze. They left the scene at 4.15pm.”
Representatives from the West Midlands Ambulance Service and Staffordshire Police said they did not attend the scene and no casualties were reported.
The blaze is the second at the biscuit factory this month, following a fire which left two engineers hospitalised for smoke inhalation.
On December 5, fire crews from Uttoxeter, Abbots Bromley and Longton were called to the scene. Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service reported the fire cause as “accidental ignition”
‘Accidental ignition’
A 2 Sisters Food Group spokesman said the fire on December 5 started in an oven. The site was evacuated safely.
“The rest of the workforce have returned to the site to continue production. It's too early to be sure of the full extent of the damage caused by the fire – that's still being evaluated and assessed,” said the spokesman.
Meanwhile, food and drink manufacturers should take proactive measures to reduce their workplace fire risk, following the publication of 14 new core requirements by the Fire Protection Association (FPA), an insurance broker has warned.
These included: protection against arson; strict control of hot work permits; regular maintenance of electrical and lighting systems; effective waste management; heightened premises security; and the adoption of strict smoking policies.
Following our report of the first fire, an insurance professional posted his recommendation for food manufacturers to be properly insured at the end of the article.
Factory Fire Risk – The importance of valuations
“Claim reductions owing to under-insurance at the point of a loss can mean the difference between survival and failure for many businesses. Too many companies understate reinstatement costs by making incorrect reference to other valuations such as book values from financial accounts or by using market values, rather than new replacement costs.
“The recent weakening of GBP against major currencies means that for plant and equipment, import costs are now higher and more volatile than in previous times, requiring closer monitoring. Many chartered surveyors can provide reliable advice and even initial cost free tests to determine if current declared values for insurance are on or off course before a decision to value assets is made.
“For directors of companies this is an important part of risk management and maintaining the duty of care to protect assets on behalf of shareholders and those with third party interests, such as funders and banks.”
- Neil Warburton, Charterfields md