Hotel fire deaths prompt safety warning from Compliance

Workplace safety expert, PHS Compliance, has issued a warning to hotel owners and managers in the wake of a recent court case concerning three deaths caused by fire at one Cornish hotel.

The company that owned the Penhallow Hotel admitted to breaching fire safety regulations and the firm has just been fined £80,000, plus ordered to pay £62,000 costs as a result.  PHS Compliance urge duty holders at hotels, restaurants and other leisure venues to ensure that they comply with The Fire Safety Order and to check that provision of alarms and extinguishers is adequate, with testing and maintenance up to date.

The Fire Statistics Monitor reported that in the six months from April to September 2010 there were 140 fatalities in the UK, plus 4,300 non-fatal casualties from fires.  Whilst these statistics encompass all types of property, PHS Compliance asserts that those operating public premises should be the most diligent in fulfillment of legislative requirements.

“When tragedies and accidents occur, perhaps the single most important factor is that we learn from them and take active measures to avoid such disasters happening again,” said Shaun Caddick, sales director of PHS Compliance.  “Many organisations may be unwittingly, or even knowingly, failing in fulfilling the Duty of Care demanded by British legislation.  Knowing what is required by law and meeting the British Standards is essential.”

The Fire Safety Order (FSO) is the key piece of legislation to consider and its emphasis is on prevention and reducing risk:  The ‘Responsible Person’ must get rid of the risk from fire, as far as reasonably possible and put in place precautions to deal with any risks that remain. 

The FSO demands that the Responsible Person must carry out a fire safety risk assessment and implement and maintain a fire management plan for all non-domestic premises. The Responsible Person must then put in place appropriate fire safety measures to manage the risk, based on the specific circumstances of their premises.  . 

The FSO has greatly simplified and clarified requirements for fire alarms and fire extinguishers.  It states that you must have an appropriate fire detection and warning system, capable of warning all the people in the building in all circumstances and facilitating the safe and swift evacuation of those people.  The Responsible Person must ‘take measures for fire-fighting in the premises, adapted to the nature of the activities carried on there and the size of the undertaking and of the premises concerned’.  Any risk assessment is likely to conclude that the provision of fire extinguishers is required so people can seek to extinguish a fire in its early stages.  Other fire fighting equipment may also be appropriate to consider, including extinguisher systems, fire blankets, fire doors, door guards and flame retardant spray.

Once provision is in place, the FSO makes it clear that systems, equipment and procedures must be ‘in an efficient state, in efficient working order and in good repair’.  This, says PHS Compliance, means appropriate testing and maintenance.  

Fire drills are an obvious requirement and the FSO dictates that the Responsible Person must ensure that employees are provided with adequate safety training at the time when they are first employed and on being exposed to new or increased risks.

“From initial risk assessment, to specification and implementation of fire detection, warning, fire fighting and training, it’s possible to call on specialist, expert help to support you in rapidly becoming compliant and then accessing testing and maintenance to keep you compliant,” said Shaun Caddick.  “The Duty Holder is responsible not only for staff working in any building, but also all visitors to it − keeping them safe requires attention and action.”