How to carry out a fire risk assessment in restaurants and hospitality.

This article has been written by Pilla Founder, Liam Jones, click to email Liam directly, he reads every email.

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Understanding fire safety obligations in the hospitality industry in the UK.

Hospitality businesses are legally obligated to carry out regular fire risk assessments. This is mandated by the Regulatory Reform Fire Safety Order 2005 (RRO). Beyond a mere formality, this process crucially evaluates the sufficiency of current measures and necessary modifications.

The significance of conducting a fire risk assessment goes beyond compliance. It’s about managing fire safety risks and establishing a plan that addresses specific hazards associated with your business activities and equipment. Regular fire risk assessments are essential for controlling risks, maintaining effective emergency procedures, and ensuring ongoing compliance with fire safety regulations.

Failing to adhere to these regulations can have severe repercussions, including significant property damage, potential loss of life, substantial fines, or even incarceration.

  • •Identifying the 'Responsible Person'

The ‘responsible person’ holds legal accountability for fire safety. This person could be the landlord, tenant, or employer with control over the premises. Their role is vital as they are obligated to conduct risk assessments and adhere to fire safety regulations. Their duties include evaluating and recognising fire hazards, enforcing measures to manage risks, guaranteeing that suitable fire precautions are established to reduce fire risk, and upholding documentation of assessments and evaluations.

They bear the responsibility to execute fire risk assessments consistently and implement updates as required.

  • •Regularly review

To maintain its effectiveness and ensure compliance with fire safety regulations, it is important to review and update a fire risk assessment regularly, especially in the context of a restaurant fire risk assessment. This includes addressing potential hazards such as poorly maintained cooking equipment in commercial kitchens, blocked fire exits, faulty electrical wiring and flammable materials stored improperly.

It’s crucial to communicate the risks identified in the fire risk assessment to staff so they can take appropriate actions to mitigate these risks.

A new risk assessment should be conducted whenever there are substantial changes in the premises that could impact the level of risk or introduce new hazards.

The five steps to a thorough fire risk assessment

The five steps to a thorough fire risk assessment are fundamental in ensuring comprehensive fire safety within the hospitality industry. These steps form the backbone of any fire risk management strategy and are as follows:

  1. •

    Identifying potential fire hazards: This involves a meticulous inspection of the premises to identify any sources of ignition, fuel, and oxygen that could potentially contribute to a fire. In a hospitality setting, this might include kitchen appliances, electrical equipment, heating devices, and any flammable materials like cleaning supplies or decorative elements.

  2. •

    Identifying who could be harmed by these hazards: After pinpointing potential hazards, the next step is to determine who is at risk. This includes not only the staff and guests but also any contractors or visitors. Special consideration should be given to individuals with disabilities or those who might require additional assistance during an evacuation.

  3. •

    Decide on control measures to reduce risk: Once the hazards and at-risk individuals have been identified, appropriate measures must be implemented to minimize or eliminate the risks. This could involve regular maintenance of electrical appliances, adequate storage of flammable materials, and ensuring clear and accessible escape routes.

  4. •

    Document and share your risk assessment: Keeping a written record of the fire risk assessment is crucial. It should detail the hazards found, the people at risk, the control measures in place, and any further action required. This documentation should be made accessible to all staff members, and they should be trained on the procedures to follow in case of a fire.

  5. •

    Review it regularly: The final step is to ensure that the fire risk assessment is not a one-time task but a living document that is regularly reviewed and updated. Changes in the layout of the premises, new equipment, or increased occupancy levels are all factors that might necessitate a reassessment of fire risks.

Tailoring fire safety procedures for different hospitality settings

Fire safety procedures need to be customised for different settings within the hospitality industry due to the presence of unique fire hazards and challenges in each setting. For instance, potential fire hazards in hospitality settings include cooking equipment and flammable materials. The most frequent causes of fires involve accidents related to cooking equipment, electrical appliances, smoking, cluttered exit routes, and intentional fires.

Depending on the setting, it is important to prioritise areas like cooking equipment in commercial kitchens and evacuation strategies for hotels and guest houses.

  • •Cooking equipment maintenance in commercial kitchens

Maintaining cooking equipment in commercial kitchens plays a crucial role in mitigating fire hazards. To uphold fire safety in commercial kitchen equipment maintenance, it is advisable to implement adequate protection for kitchen equipment, engage professional maintenance services for proper functionality, remove fire hazards like rags, paper products, and boxes from proximate areas to heat and cooking sources, maintain suitable clearance between cooking equipment and combustible materials to prevent fire spread and establish a routine inspection plan to detect and address potential fire hazards.

Regular maintenance can prevent equipment malfunction, ensuring proper cleaning, and facilitate the identification and addressing of potential hazards before they escalate into fire incidents.

  • •Evacuation strategies for hotels and guest houses

In the context of hotels and guest houses, developing evacuation strategies is crucial. This is due to the complexities of swiftly evacuating a substantial number of guests. Recommended strategies for hotel fire evacuation include appointing fire wardens and training staff, installing detection and alarm systems, planning fire routes and ensuring they are clear of obstructions, knowing the location of fire alarms and extinguishers, familiarising yourself with the fire evacuation plan and finding the nearest fire exits and conducting regular checks of the building, including testing fire alarms and ensuring escape routes are not blocked.

Implementing effective fire safety training and fire drills

Regular fire safety training is important because it safeguards both guests and staff by educating staff on fire prevention and it equips staff with the knowledge to respond effectively to fires.

Regular fire drills and evacuation training are essential to ensure that staff are prepared to handle emergencies. The recommended frequency for conducting fire drills in the hospitality industry is at least twice a year. To minimise disruption to hospitality services, drills should be scheduled during off-peak hours, with advance communication to staff, efficient execution, and clear instructions.

It is important to maintain records of fire safety training and maintenance as these serve as evidence of compliance with relevant regulations and ensure effective and systematic implementation of training. The recommended inclusions for fire safety training records are details of the training session including date, time, duration, topics covered, participants’ names, and certificates or qualifications obtained.

In the hospitality industry, there is no specific guideline for the retention period of fire safety training records. However, it is advisable to maintain written records and seek guidance from local authorities or industry experts for specific requirements.

Using a digital file storage system like the one inside Pilla is your most secure bet.

Integrating fire safety technology

Fire safety technology significantly aids in early detection and rapid response during fire incidences. Fire alarm systems and fire suppression systems are two examples of fire safety technology that can be integrated into your hospitality business for increased safety.

Fire alarm systems are an integral part of fire safety technology. In hospitality settings, a fire alarm system uses detectors to transmit a signal to the central control panel when smoke is detected. Subsequently, this panel triggers alarms and has the capability to automatically notify the fire department and hotel personnel, thereby warning all individuals within the premises of the potential hazard.

Fire suppression systems operate by detecting flames and heat, and subsequently extinguishing or controlling the fire using specialised chemical compounds. Upon detection of a fire, the system is activated and releases wet chemicals through strategically positioned nozzles over appliances and within the ventilation system. This swift action effectively suppresses flames and mitigates the spread of fire.

Risk management for special events and functions

One of the unique challenges of the hospitality industry is the hosting of special events and functions. High-capacity events can bring about a unique set of fire safety challenges due to the sheer volume of people and activities. In such situations, risk assessments need to be adjusted and staff need to be trained to handle event-specific risks.

Additionally, it is crucial to conduct a fire safety risk assessment for open-air events and venues, which should be performed by fire risk assessors possessing the necessary level of competence.

As high-capacity events bring about unique risks, staff need to be trained to handle these specific challenges. Typical fire hazards specific to events in the hospitality industry encompass flammable liquids and cooking oils in kitchens, electrical hazards from kitchen equipment, smoking-related fires, waste fires, obstructed escape routes, and unclean ducting in extraction systems. Staff can be prepared to manage these hazards through training that focuses on the correct use of food preparation equipment, adherence to proper procedures, ensuring unobstructed pathways and exits, and minimising fire risks by decluttering.

Fire safety extends beyond just protecting lives and property; it carries legal and insurance implications as well. Failing to comply with fire safety regulations can lead to severe outcomes, such as loss of life and monetary fines. It is crucial to perform a thorough fire risk assessment and adhere to fire safety law to manage fire safety effectively and mitigate these legal implications.

Non-compliance with fire safety regulations has the potential to impact insurance coverage within the hospitality industry. Failure to adhere to the specified fire safety requirements outlined in an insurance policy may result in policy cancellations or voided coverage, leaving the business vulnerable in the event of a fire.

This places the business at risk of bearing the financial burden of damages or losses caused by a fire incident. Performing a fire risk assessment is not sufficient documenting it carries equal importance.