Fears over fire safety in hotels

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Title – Fears over fire safety in hotels
Source – www.bbc.co.uk
Date – 19th September 2007

Changes in the law are welcome when they reduce the burden of paperwork or improve safety standards, but all too often these changes can take years to work their way through the system and become effective.

The change in emphasis of responsibility brought about by the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, from a fire certificate to effective self-assessment will certainly work in favour of large hotels and chains that either employ experts in-house or can afford expensive consultancy firms and spread the cost by offering large contracts covering the whole chain. For many smaller hoteliers who have always taken their responsibilities seriously there is no great change and a little less red tape to get through.

The worry is those at the bottom end of the scale, those hotels whose standards ruin the reputation of the majority and have traditionally ignored or been ignorant of the dangers of fire will actually get worse. Those establishments who used to clear the fire escapes on the day of the fire officer’s inspection and spend the rest of the year re-cluttering the same escape routes, rather then finding alternative safe storage space, now might not even de-clutter once a year. But after a tragedy like this there can be no excuse for anyone accepting anything but the highest standards.

Fire safety is also often not high on the skills base of hoteliers, so getting help from experts is vital to make sure you get your fire safety priorities right first time.
We can assist with fire safety plans, fire risk assessment and evacuation plans. We offer Fire Safety Training for your staff (an essential part of any fire safety action plan) and Consultancy to help you meet your legal obligations.

Please visit our website at www.btbl.co.uk