The head of a trade industry representing reailers of vapes has said he wants to work with fire authorities.
Whilst the cause of the fire which shut down Scotland’s busiest railway station, Glasgow Central, last week is still being investigated, the blaze is thought to have begun in a neighbouring vape shop.
Rail Disruption Continues After Glasgow Station Blaze
Rail disruption continues following the fire which happened on Sunday, March 8. Some timetables have been amended.
Director General of The UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA), John Dunne, has written to the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC).
The letter has also been sent to Fire and Rescue Services across the UK and the Fire Standards Board.
Vape Retailers Reminded of Battery and Fire Safety Measures
In the letter, Mr Dunne said his trade association wanted to work with the relevant authorities to identify any lessons arising from the incident to ensure lessons could be learned and to ensure nothing like it happened again.
He also said retailers had already sent circulars to their stores immediately following the fire to reiterate fire and battery safety measures.
Proposal for Vape Licensing Scheme
The letter reads: “While we await the outcome of the investigation into the cause of the fire, we would very much welcome the opportunity to engage with the National Fire Chiefs Council to ensure that, in the meantime, we are doing everything possible to advise our retail members on any
immediate steps they should take to confirm that appropriate safety measures are in place in their premises.
“Once the cause is known, we would also welcome the opportunity to work closely with you and the relevant authorities to identify any lessons arising from the Glasgow incident that can be learnt to ensure that such an event does not happen again.
“We are also working with the British government on the introduction of a mandatory retail licensing scheme, proposed as part of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill which is currently before Parliament.
“This goes beyond the Scottish registration scheme and we believe it could provide an effective mechanism for supporting robust compliance with fire safety requirements in vape retail stores across the UK in the future.”
