Fire Safety for Hotels and The Hospitality Industry
What are the fire safety regulations for hotels?
hospitality industry, bed & breakfasts, guest houses and self catering properties
Fire Safety for Hotels and The Hospitality Industry
These are some of the questions that hotel owners and B&B managers need to be aware of.
In April 2022 the owner of a Widnes Hotel was prosecuted and sentenced to 12 months in prison, suspended for two years, for breaking fire safety laws. Plus £5000 costs and 80 hours of community work, so not following Fire safety rules can have serious consequences.
In the past 2 years around the country from Cornwall, Nottinghamshire to Blackpool – hotel owners have been prosecuted for breaches in fire safety management and not following Regulatory Reform Fire Safety Order 2005.
But what should hotels, bed and breakfasts, guest houses, and self catering owners know about making their premises safe from fire?
The Government provides detailed information on what the hospitality industry, specifically bed and breakfasts, guest houses, and self catering properties need to do to understand the Regulatory Reform Fire Safety Order 2005.
Hotel owners need to identify and reduce the fire risks
Fire Risk Assessments should be ongoing
Hotel fires can develop fast and can cause huge amounts of damage to life and infrastructure. Preventing a fire is easier and safer than dealing with one.
Who is responsible for Fire Safety in your Hotel?
The Fire Safety Order (FSO) is the current law in England and Wales. This states that one ‘responsible person’ (usually the owner or manager) is in charge of compliance. This ‘responsible person’ can nominate a ‘competent person’ to receive the fire training and ensure day-to-day compliance with regulations if they prefer. That’s where Fire Queen can help!
Fire Detection System, Fire Extinguishers, Emergency Lighting
You need to know that your hotel has the right fire safety equipment in the right place, AND it is going to function in the right way at the right time
Every floor should have an appropriate number of fire doors, with clearly marked escape routes from all points. The escape routes should be clear at all times
All staff should be trained in fire safety procedures, including how to raise an alarm, how to fight fires, and how to evacuate the building
Fire action notices should be clearly displayed for staff and guests so everyone knows what to do in a fire. All fire escape routes should have adequate signage showing the escape route via the shortest available route
This should be published as a hard copy and made available to all staff and information for guests
Depending on the size of your Hotel, B&B, Guest House, and number of guests you may need multiple muster points
You must ensure all existing equipment is kept in working order and checked at regular intervals by a competent person
A Fire Risk Assessment is a thorough review of your premises and the people who are likely to use them, including the elderly, very young children and disabled people. It considers the risk of fire breaking out and what measures you need to put in place to prevent it and keep people safe. All hotels, guest houses, B&B, and self catering properties, whatever the size, must complete a fire risk assessment.
The risk assessment should identify fire hazards and rate them in terms of risk -high, moderate and low. For example, a hotel kitchen would be considered a high-risk area. At-risk persons should also be identified, such as the occupants of family rooms, or disabled members of staff.
For each risk you identify, a plan should be put in place to eliminate (if possible), reduce and protect people from that risk.
As this article details if you provide accommodation for paying guests you must ensure that your Fire Risk assessment is comprehensive and that all fire safety procedures are followed and the consequences of getting it wrong can be serious. As an owner of a hotel, guest house or B&B, you will already be busy with guest and need expert advice. If you do not have the expertise or time to do the fire risk assessment yourself you need to appoint a ‘competent person’ to help, for example a professional risk assessor. That’s where Fire Queen can help, we provide a full range of Fire Safety services including Fire Risk Assessments, Fire Training, Fire Extinguisher Servicing & Fire Alarm Maintenance, Stockport, Manchester, The North West, and UK wide
Fire Queen offer an extensive range of Fire Safety Services. We provide Fire Alarm Installation, Fire Extinguisher Installation, Commissioning, Testing & Maintenance services across the United Kingdom & Ireland. Ensuring your business is protected and your employees can easily raise the alarm.
With over 50 years of experience, in almost every environment, we guarantee you will find our ability & customer focus to be excellent in all areas.
We offer very competitive Annual Fire Extinguisher Maintenance Service Plans & Reactive Call-out Services to Hotels, Self Catering Accommodation, Bed & Breakfast Guest Houses, and all types of commercial buildings.
We offer a number of Fire Extinguisher Maintenance, Testing & Service options, including our popular, fixed budget annual contracts. Call us to discuss your Fire Extinguisher needs; we will advise you which is the most effective solution, for your property or business.
By combining your Fire Extinguisher Services with our Fire Alarm Servicing & / or Emergency Lighting Maintenance plans, we can offer significant cost savings.
Please contact our Customer Support Team to arrange a free survey, or to discuss your requirements with a trained Technical Advisor.
Alternatively, please use the contact form; we will respond promptly.
Fire Queen is a leading provider of fire safety equipment and signage as well as offering maintenance and servicing services to a variety of industries including hotels.
For all your Fire Protection & Detection needs, contact our Customer Support Team on 0800 731 2748 to arrange a free survey, quotation, or just advice.
Remember, if you are responsible for the premises, you are legally responsible for making sure you comply with the law
To arrange a free survey or discuss your requirements with a Technical Advisor.