Oldham in Focus: Fire Safety, Risk and Compliance
Oldham is a former textile manufacturing town on the north-eastern edge of Greater Manchester, with a fire safety environment that reflects its industrial heritage, its town centre regeneration programme and a residential and commercial base that spans a wide range of building types and ages. The town has a significant concentration of former mill buildings, many of which have been converted to residential or commercial use, and some of which remain vacant or in transitional states of ownership. The Spindles shopping centre and the surrounding town centre generate retail and hospitality occupancies. The Mumps area, adjacent to the town centre, is an established mixed commercial and light industrial quarter. Royton, Chadderton, Failsworth and Shaw serve as residential and commercial extensions of the urban core. Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service is the enforcing authority for the FSO across Oldham.
For responsible persons across Oldham's varied premises, the FSO places a direct legal duty to carry out a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment and keep it under review. Our fire risk assessments in Oldham page sets out how we work. Two incidents from the past year illustrate the fire risks that responsible persons in Oldham are managing.
Industrial Building Fire, Bell Street, Mumps Business Park, Oldham — September 2025
At around 3am on Wednesday 24 September 2025, GMFRS crews were called to reports of a fire at an industrial building on Bell Street, Oldham, adjacent to Mumps Business Park near the town centre. Six fire engines from stations across Oldham and Rochdale, alongside the aerial ladder platform from Stretford, were mobilised to the incident. Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus used two hose reels to extinguish the fire. Crews remained at the scene alongside partners to make the area safe. Large flames were visible from the estate, with black smoke rising above the Mumps area in the early hours. The cause of the fire was under investigation.
Flames soar from the industrial building on Bell Street, Mumps Business Park, Oldham, 24 September 2025. Video: YouTube.
A fire at an industrial building adjacent to Mumps Business Park at 3am — when the premises is unoccupied — raises several compliance questions that responsible persons at industrial premises anywhere in Oldham should consider in relation to their own buildings. The absence of active occupancy during overnight hours means that a fire can establish and develop significantly before any detection system raises an alarm to anyone capable of calling the emergency services. The first call to GMFRS at 3am was the first indication that anyone outside the building was aware of the fire; what happened inside the building before that call is characteristic of how industrial fires develop overnight. A fire risk assessment for any industrial premises that operates on a shift basis or that has extended unoccupied periods must specifically address the overnight risk: whether the fire detection system is appropriate for the building when it is unoccupied, whether the system is monitored by a receiving centre that can call the fire service if an alarm activates without staff present, and whether the building's perimeter security reduces the arson risk during unoccupied periods. A well-maintained detection and alarm system that notifies an Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC) when a detector activates can reduce the time from ignition to fire service attendance by a significant margin compared with a system that relies on staff presence to raise the alarm. A fire safety policy for any shift-working industrial premises should include a specific procedure for the handover of the premises at the end of each shift, including the locking of perimeter doors and gates, isolation of ignition sources where appropriate, and a check of the fire detection system before the last person leaves. Our warehouse and industrial fire safety service covers these obligations for Oldham's manufacturing and distribution premises.
Commercial Premises Fire, Mold Street, Coldhurst, Oldham — April 2025
Shortly after 10.30pm on Wednesday 30 April 2025, eight fire engines and a number of specialist appliances from GMFRS were called to a fire at a commercial premises on Mold Street in the Coldhurst area of Oldham. Crews arrived quickly and used breaking-in gear and breathing apparatus to access the building before successfully extinguishing the fire. Firefighters remained in attendance to damp down and ensure the area was safe. No footage of this incident was released by local media. The cause was not publicly confirmed by GMFRS following the investigation.
A late-evening fire at commercial premises in the Coldhurst area, requiring eight fire engines and multiple specialist appliances, and requiring breaking-in gear for access, is a pattern associated with either delayed detection in an unoccupied building or inadequate means of fire service access to the premises. Breaking-in gear is used when standard entry is not possible — where doors are locked, shuttered or secured in a way that prevents rapid firefighter entry. In a fire situation, delays in firefighter access translate directly into additional fire development time, with consequential effects on the extent of damage and the risk of spread. A fire risk assessment for any commercial premises that is locked and secured overnight must address whether the fire service would be able to access the building quickly in the event of an alarm, and whether the alarm system is monitored by an ARC that would summon assistance during hours of closure. For commercial premises in the Coldhurst area and across Oldham town centre, many of which occupy converted residential or legacy commercial buildings with non-standard layouts and multiple-lock security arrangements, these access questions require specific consideration. A documented fire safety policy should include key holder arrangements that ensure access can be provided to the fire service at any hour. Fire safety training for all staff should cover the action on discovering a fire outside normal operating hours.
Fire Safety Duties for Responsible Persons Across Oldham
Industrial premises and the town's manufacturing base. Oldham's industrial estate network, covering Mumps, Werneth, Middleton Road and the Chadderton and Shaw industrial areas, accommodates a diverse range of manufacturing, distribution and trade operations. A fire risk assessment for any industrial premises must address the specific combination of fire load, occupancy pattern, shift arrangements and perimeter security that applies to that building — not a generic template. Our warehouse and industrial service is built around that principle. Where lithium-ion batteries are charged on site, the specific risk of thermal runaway must be addressed.
Mill conversions and heritage buildings. Oldham's former textile mills — some of the largest single-structure buildings in the North West — have been converted in various ways. Where a mill is in residential use, the fire risk profile of the original structure (timber roof voids, large open volumes, non-standard floor layouts) must be reflected in the assessment, which must also address the specific obligations under the Fire Safety Act 2021 and the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 for residential buildings. Where a mill is in commercial or mixed use, the coordinating responsibilities of the freeholder or managing agent must be addressed alongside the obligations of individual occupiers.
Town centre retail and hospitality. The Spindles Shopping Centre, the Oldham Coliseum area and the surrounding town centre generate significant public-facing occupancies. Responsible persons at retail and hospitality premises must ensure that evacuation plans are appropriate for peak occupancy, that all staff — including part-time and agency workers — have received fire safety training, and that fire door inspections are carried out regularly to verify that the compartmentation between the public-facing space, the kitchen and the escape routes is intact.
HMOs and the private rented sector. Oldham has a significant HMO market in its inner residential areas. Our HMO fire safety service covers the specific requirements under the FSO and Oldham Council's licensing conditions.
Fire Safety Support for Oldham
Fletcher Risk Management provides fire risk assessments in Oldham for responsible persons across the town's industrial, commercial, residential and HMO stock, as part of our regular Greater Manchester coverage. We cover the full range of services: fire door inspections, fire safety training, evacuation plans, fire safety policies and evacuation chair training.
Fire safety support across the North West and North Wales
Fletcher Risk Management provides fire risk assessments, fire door inspections and fire safety training for responsible persons across Chester, Cheshire, the Wirral, Merseyside, Greater Manchester, North Wales and beyond. To discuss your requirements, please get in touch.
This article is intended for general guidance only and does not constitute legal advice. Responsible persons should seek professional advice tailored to their specific premises and circumstances. Fletcher Risk Management Ltd provides fire risk assessments, fire door inspections, and fire safety training across the North West and North Wales. Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service is the enforcing authority for the FSO in Oldham.