Lloyds Banking Group issued a mass notification notice to all staff working in 125 London Wall at 6.41pm last night.
It said:
“LBG Group Alert – The landlord of 125 London Wall has completed a Fire Evacuation Test of the building today; as tenants we are currently unsatisfied with the results. Following further conversations, we have not been given sufficient confidence that the fire evacuation announcement system is working effectively and have therefore made the decision to close 125 London Wall from tomorrow…..”
Staff working in 125 London Wall have been told to work from home until further notice.
Members will recall that we criticised the fire evacuation procedures at 125 London Wall in a series of Newsletters earlier this year. We also wrote to Mr Charlie Nunn, Group Chief Executive and Ms Sharon Doherty, Chief People and Places Officer, making it clear that we would hold them personally responsible if any members of staff were injured or killed as a result of their negligence.
In that letter we said:
“The Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007 makes it clear that companies and organisations can be found guilty of corporate manslaughter as a result of serious management failures resulting in a gross breach of a duty of care. The liability of directors, board members or other individuals under health and safety law or general criminal law is not diminished by the Act’s focus on corporate prosecutions”.
Lloyds has done the right thing in telling staff to stay at home following the latest fire evacuation fiasco. It’s clear that our letters have produced the desired response. However, Lloyds needs to do more and that includes reappointing Fire Marshalls – before staff go back. Lloyds need to make sure that its fire safety policy is effective in managing risk and, more importantly, protecting its employees.
We are reviewing what went on yesterday and that will be covered in a future Newsletter. We would like to hear from more members caught up in yesterday’s debacle. In the meantime, members with any questions on this Newsletter should contact the Union’s Advice Team on 01234 262868 (choose Option 1).
MEMBERS SHOULD PASS THIS NEWSLETTER ON TO THEIR COLLEAGUES SO THEY TOO CAN BENEFIT FROM THE ONLY INDEPENDENT TRADE UNION IN LLOYDS AND HALIFAX