Introduction to Fire Safety Management

Arson associated with a grievance
This may result from the fear of unemployment pos-
sibly due to company relocation, lack of advancement 
or promotion, salary grievances, or having been humili-
ated in front of co-workers. At a personal level employer/
employee confl icts such as jealousy of a work colleague’s 
promotion or success or revenge against a superior or 
employer are also known to cause arson attacks.
Fraudulent arson
This type of arson may be committed in an attempt 
to defraud the insurers by an owner of a business 
employee setting fi re to their own premises or prop-
erty. This may be property in the workplace or at home. 
Fraudulent fi res in industry and commerce do not always 
involve setting fi re to the fi nancial records, they may, for 
example, involve an attempt to destroy out-of-date (or 
out-of-fashion) stock, with a claim subsequently being 
made for more modern items as part of a ‘new for old’ 
policy.
Arson associated with economic or political 
motivation
Arson attacks may be associated with industrial action 
(strikes), industrial sabotage, campaigns of pressure 
groups (e.g. animal rights) and more recently as a result 
of terrorist activities.
Arson associated with mental instability
It is true to say that pyromania is rare; however, the feel-
ings associated with hatred and jealousy, the desire to 
attract attention, together with frustration and sexual 
perversion have all led to fi re raising and arson. The 
would-be heroes who light fi res in order to be able to 
‘discover’ them and assist in the rescue of their col-
leagues and involvement in fi re fi ghting operations also 
come into this category.
8.3.2 Arson – Infl uencing factors and 
management
There are a number of factors that infl uence the likeli-
hood of an arson attack which also serve to provide 
information on how such attacks can be managed.