BLOG

The hospitality sector in particular has had to face many challenges over the past 18 months including putting in place safety measures to keep customers and staff safe as lockdown restrictions have been gradually lifted.

During this period of time, due to long-term closures, hotels, bars, pubs and restaurants have had far less fire safety risks to think about.  Unfortunately, due to the additional pressures of Covid-19 safety measures, in some instances fire safety in these venues has been put on the back burner!

The team at Hartson Fire are urging those responsible for safety in the hospitality sector to ensure that all fire safety equipment is appropriate for the premises, situated in the correct location and is fully serviced to make sure it is in full working order.

We have also come up with the following fire safety guidelines to help this sector keep everyone who works or visits their premises fire safety safe.

Three Main Causes of Fire in the Hospitality Sector

Due to the nature of the business, the hospitality sector works with many  hazardous materials which put can put venues at risk from specific classes of fire, including flammable liquids, cooking oils and fats, and electrical equipment.

• Cooking oils and fats: these are one of the main causes of fire in the hospitality sector, particularly as they are used so frequently in premises which serve food like restaurants, pubs and hotels. Fires which result from these oils are called Class F fires and, because cooking oils have an explosive reaction to liquids, foam or water extinguishers should not be used as they can spread the source of the fire. As a result, a wet chemical extinguisher is ideal. 
• Electrical equipment: hospitality venues tend to use a high number of electrical appliances, and again particularly in kitchens. Hotels too will have a high number of these appliances in guest rooms as well as their kitchen and lighting in key areas such as restaurants and lobbies.  In addition to ensuring that all electrical appliances are regularly tested, hospitality venues should also have in place CO2 extinguishers to cover electrical appliances
• Cigarettes: many hospitality venues provide designated areas where staff and guests can smoke. Although the smoking ban in indoor venues has had a significant impact in reducing the number of fires caused by cigarettes,  fires from discarded cigarettes can still be a real threat. Hospitality venues should provide highly visible and easily accessible bins or wall-mounted ash trays for smokers to safely stub out and dispose their cigarettes.  Suitable extinguishers depending on the type and location of the smoking area should also be easy to access.

Fire Safety Signage

In addition to fire safety equipment, hospitality venues should also have in place appropriate fire safety signage ranging from exit signs, locations of fire safety equipment and meeting points should a fire occur… to name but a few.

At Hartson Fire, we have a huge range of fire safety signage for all types of premises, large or small.

Fire Equipment Servicing

Last but not least, all fire safety equipment should be serviced regularly as it is vital that it is in full working order at all times.  This is a statutory requirement of the Regulatory Fire Reform (Fire Safety Order) 2005 which states that fire fighting equipment “must be subject to a suitable system of maintenance and are maintained in an efficient state, in efficient working order and in good repair.”

The team at Hartson Fire delivers regular servicing and maintenance of our customers’ fire extinguishers to ensure they are in full working order and that your business is compliant with the Regulatory Fire Reform (Fire Safety Order) 2005.

To discuss your fire safety equipment needs or to book a service, call us today on the number below: