Cinema-theater with expired fire safety certificate: the owner reported for serious safety deficiencies

A joint inspection by the Carabinieri of the Labor Inspectorate of Catania and the Giarre Station, supported by technicians from the provincial Fire Brigade, revealed numerous critical issues regarding safety within a cinema-theater in the Giarre area.

The inspection, conducted as part of interforce checks to verify compliance with regulations on safety in the workplace and fire prevention in public venues, began with the verification of the positions of the workers present.

The NIL personnel confirmed the presence of two employees regularly hired and compliant from a contractual and contribution standpoint; therefore, no labor law violations were found.

At the same time, the Fire Brigade conducted technical assessments regarding fire safety in the facility, which consists of two cinema halls with a total of over 400 seats, identifying several irregularities.

It emerged, in particular, that the establishment was operating with an expired Fire Prevention Certificate since August of last year. The CPI, mandatory for cinemas and theaters, certifies the building's compliance with fire safety regulations.

Moreover, the activity was ongoing without the opinion of the Municipal Commission for the Supervision of Public Entertainment Venues, thus lacking a formal verification of structural safety and systems.

During the inspection, further deficiencies were noted: in the second hall, where a screening was taking place, the emergency lights and the fire alarm system were not functioning; in the first hall, the automatic smoke detectors were inactive, compromising an essential safeguard for the timely detection of a fire outbreak.

It was also found that the fire control log was not updated, with the last entry dating back to May 2024.

The Carabinieri finally highlighted documentary irregularities: some modifications to the environments and systems were not recorded in the Risk Assessment Document nor in the emergency plan, and the compliance documentation for the systems was not presented.

As a result of the checks, based on elements to be evaluated in court, the owner, a 58-year-old resident of Fiumefreddo di Sicilia, was charged with administrative and criminal violations regarding fire prevention and safety in public entertainment venues.

The woman has been reported to the judicial authority for failure to submit the SCIA and failure to periodically renew fire safety compliance for activities subject to the controls of the Fire Brigade, while maintaining the principle of presumption of innocence until a final judgment.