European Parliament needs a Fire Risk Assessment and FireTraining

A fire alarm drill held in the European Parliament in Strasbourg has left fire chiefs "appalled" at the poor fire safety in the establishment.

The fire alarm was sounded on Tuesday (June 7th) at 12.15pm, but the drill was marred by a series of mishaps, including locked fire escapes and silent alarms in some areas of the building, reports The Economist.

When the alarm went off, a mass evacuation was started, with all MEPs in the plenary chamber being escorted out through an underground passage.

But some of the people who were not in the chamber found that the warning did not even sound where they were, with the fire exit doors in the press centre remaining locked.

Constant Brand, writing for the news provider, noted: "A fire chief was appalled that those evacuated were allowed to congregate in the courtyard of the Louise Weiss building, surrounded by walls of glass."

The evacuation was held to ensure the establishment complied with France's fire safety regulations.