With recent changes in Fire Safety law it is essential that accommodation providers are up-to-date in their fire risk assessments. Please see the UK Government's guides and assessments online for full details plus the Q&A information below (drawn up in co-operation with Norfolk Fire Service).
Fire Regulations - Are You Hot on the Topic? Business Link FREE course
Do fire risk assessments make you hot under the collar? Not only are they vital for the safety of your staff and equipment, but get it wrong and you could also be facing huge fines and bad publicity. This briefing will bring you up to date with the latest legislation, make you aware of your legal responsibilities and save you from any legislative breach. And it might just save someone’s life.
Who should attend?
Business owners, managers and key members of staff who need to carry out fire risk assessments, plus those who must ensure their business is complying with current regulations.
What will it cover?
The history of Fire Legislation (Fire Act 1961 & Fire Precautions Workplace Act 1997)
The new Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RRFSO)
How the RRFSO is enforced (who, why, how?) and the penalties and fines for non compliance
The five steps to carrying out a fire risk assessment
Understanding the fire triangle, types of ignition sources, fuel and oxygen
Reducing the risk to people, including fire alarms, firefighting equipment, escape routes and emergency escape lighting
Recording, planning, informing, instruction and training.
5th Feb 2010
10am – 12pm
Stower Grange, Drayton
To book your FREE place, call Business Link on 0845 601 1000 or visit www.bookevents.org
Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2006
Guidance from Norfolk Tourism for all accommodation businesses on the ‘new’ fire regulations
Warning!
Please note that circumstances vary from business to business and this website can not cover every possible situation. These guidance notes do not replace the need to take legal or other advice in appropriate circumstances and no responsibility for loss caused to any person or company acting or refraining to act as a result of any material in this website can be accepted by Norfolk Tourism.
Q. Do the regulations apply to me?
Yes, the new fire safety law applies to you if anyone pays to stay in your property, other than to live there as a permanent home, no matter what the size of the premises. This means:
• Hotels and motels
• Guest accommodation in smaller premises, such as B&Bs, guest houses, farmhouses,
inns and restaurants with rooms
• Self-catering accommodation, such as houses, cottages, chalets, flats and holiday
caravans
• Hostels or small bunkhouses.
Q. How do I establish what size applies to me?
There is no absolute definition of what is a ‘small’ or ‘large’ premises. As a rule, if your premises is significantly larger than a family home and if it includes long (probably more than 12 metres), unusual or complicated routes to the exit, the fire safety precautions you will need to take are likely to be similar than those required for larger premises, such as hotels, with more complicated layouts and staff.
To help you evaluate, download the PDF of the 147 page Sleeping Accommodation Fire Safety Risk Assessment guide (Adobe Acrobat required) or for even more detail, go to www.communities.gov.uk/firesafety. For all hotels and large hostels, the requirements outlined in that document will have to adhered to, though they may vary, depending on the building.
In the very smallest B&B accommodation (no more than two storeys) which has only two or three guest bedrooms and short travel distances to a safe place outside, then such extensive and expensive fire precaution and prevention measures may not necessarily be required. However, it will again vary from building to building. Any size of self-catering unit has to install some fire precaution and prevention measures. It will vary from unit to unit and may be influenced by the type of staying guests (eg: with disabilities). Most units should have similar risk factors to the smallest B&B accommodation but be guided by professional advice from the Fire & Rescue Service, after you have assessed the risks.
To guide you, please see the latest Fire Guidence Booklet (Adobe Acrobat required) produced by Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) and released on 18th November 2008.
The booklet has been written with the help of the Regional Tourist Boards, VisitBritain, The Bed and Breakfast Association, English Association of Self-Catering Operators, British Hospitality Association, British Innkeeping Institution and others.
Alternatively you can order the booklet via a form on the Do You Have Paying Guests? section of DCLG website or available free of charge from:
Communities and Local Government Publications
PO Box 236
Wetherby
LS23 7NB.
Tel: 0300 123 1124
Fax: 0300 123 1125
Email: communities@capita.co.uk
Please quote Product Code 08FRP05324
Q. How do I know what fire risks I have?
All accommodation must undertake their own risk assessment of their business. This is not onerous and can usually be undertaken by the proprietor. You can delegate the work to a consultant but as the owner/manager, you are still the responsible person. If you use a consultant, please ensure that they are working to the new regulations. To assist you in your assessment, visit the free Fire Risk Assessment online template from Visit Britain. This template is adequate for most small and medium accommodation businesses. However, larger operations may wish to download the more extensive Fire Risk Assessment template from the Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service at www.norfolkfireservice.gov.uk/fire_safety_in_business_premises.html
Q. My self-assessment shows my fire risks are pretty low. Surely, as a very small B&B, I don’t need to install all these expensive smoke detectors and emergency lights?
The Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service may not agree when they visit you! However, they will give you practical advice on what you have to do without you either incurring ruinous costs or destroying the character of your property. Depending on the condition of your premises, you will be given reasonable time to make the changes, allowing for your own circumstances and those of the tourism season.
Q. And fire doors? Some of my doors are the old style farm doors. I can’t replace those.
You don’t necessarily need to. For small premises, a reasonably solid timber ledge brace door that fits well into its frame is likely to be good enough. You could then apply surface mounted fire/smoke seals to the door edges quite simply, plus hinge protectors, at an affordable cost, to bring it up to a 30 minute fire proof standard. If your old farm doors fits well into its frame, you may be able to bring it up to the 30 minutes fire resistant standard by applying an intumescent paint to the inside of each door (click here for a detailed specification from Envirograf). Providing the intumescent paint is applied to a certified standard, then it may comply with the regulations. However, for any type of fire door, be guided by the advice of your local fire officer.
By making these cost-effective and straightforward changes you may be able to maintain the original character of your doors. For more detailed specifications on upgrading any of your doors click on http://www.envirograf.com/. To obtain a quotation, e-mail sales@envirograf.com.
Q Are there other ways that my business could be affected by these fire regulations.
Yes, in particular your quality grading. As part of the quality or star-rating scheme, VisitBritain and the AA require businesses to comply with all the legal responsibilities they have. If you do not carry out a risk assessment, this will affect your rating. Neither VisitBritain nor the AA will take a view on the adequacy of the fire safety arrangements you have put in place – they are not fire safety experts. Should you be so unfortunate as to experience a fire at your premises and you have not completed your risk assessment or made the changes required by the Fire & Rescue Service, this could impact adversely on your buildings insurance claim.
Q What else do I have to do?
It all depends on your accommodation and the type of building. The PDF guidance documents listed above should answer most of your questions. Once you have completed your risk-assessment, contact your area fire district office and ask for a Fire Officer to visit your premises before you undertake any changes. For general enquiries, please e-mail Norfolk Tourism (no phone calls, please) or your local tourism officer may be able to assist you with your enquires.
Tourist Accommodation Providers Pack
Want more help and guidance on topics such as health & safety, trading standards and fire safety? The new Tourism Accommodation Providers Pack is designed to support small and medium sized businesses that provide accommodation for tourists visiting Norfolk including hotels, guesthouses and B&Bs.
Produced by the Norfolk Better Regulation Partnership (including Environmental Health, Trading Standards and Fire and Rescue Services in Norfolk), the pack deals with important topics that you need to know about and will assist with complying with a range of legislations and industry safety rules.
Important topics include Health & Safety, Food Safety, Trading Standards Consumer Law & Fair Trading Legislation, Licensing Information, Fire Safety and useful contacts.
You can find the pack at www.norfolk.gov.uk/business, or request a copy from Trading Standards via trading.standards@norfolk.gov.uk or 0844 800 8013.
Useful Contacts:
Norfolk Fire & Rescue Service Headquarters and District offices:
Headquarters: Whitegates, Hethersett, Norwich, NR9 3DN Tel: 01603 810351
Norwich City and South Norfolk: Bethel Street, Norwich, NR2 1NW Tel: 01603 621461
Great Yarmouth and Broadland: Friars Lane, Great Yarmouth, NR30 2RP Tel: 01493 843212
North Norfolk: Norwich Road, Fakenham, NR28 9DE Tel: 01692 501091
West Norfolk: Kilhams Way, King’s Lynn, PE30 2HY Tel: 01553 775163
Breckland: Norwich Road, Thetford, IP24 2HT Tel: 01842 765156
Fire Safety Advice Line (Freephone): 0800 917 8137
Website: http://www.norfolkfireservice.gov.uk/
Email: hq@fire.norfolk.gov.uk
Norfolk Tourism: - info@visit.norfolk.gov.uk
District Tourism officers:
West Norfolk: Beverley Howell - beverley.howell@west-norfolk.gov.uk
North Norfolk: Jose Socao - jose.socao@north-norfolk.gov.uk
Great Yarmouth: Karen Youngs - ky@great-yarmouth.gov.uk
South Norfolk: Colette Davies - cdavies@s-norfolk.gov.uk
Norwich: Visit Norwich tourism@visitnorwich.co.uk
Broadland: Kirsten Hughes - kirsten.hughes@broadland.gov.uk
.
Issued/updated 5 December 2008