Hotels constantly welcome new guests. With that comes the increased likelihood of accidental fires. Many hotel occupants will have a limited understanding of the building layout, which can lead to fires burning unnoticed or remaining hidden until too late. Proactive fire safety combats these risks and protects people and property. But what does proactive fire safety look like for hotels?
A UK Fire Risk Assessment is a crucial tool that allows the hotel managers or designated responsible person to maintain greater control over the fire safety and security of the space. While investing in high-quality fire safety equipment helps safeguard hotels against fire, fire safety is not a one-size-fits-all approach. Understanding the specific needs of a hotel ensures the right equipment is selected and installed. FRAs provide a clear guide for the responsible person so that they may tailor fire safety to maximise protection.
This blog will break down what an FRA is, why it benefits hotels and the next steps you can take to create long-lasting fire safety.
What is an FRA?
An FRA, or Fire Risk Assessment, is a structured evaluation that assesses the likelihood of a fire starting within a property. The responsible person must regularly conduct FRAs to ensure ongoing hotel fire safety.
There are five Fire Risk Assessment steps:
Step 1
Identify potential fire hazards.
Step 2
Identify people at risk.
Step 3
Evaluate, remove and reduce risks.
Step 4
Record, plan, inform and instruct.
Step 5
Review and update.
The purpose of FRAs is to proactively assess a space for fire risks and implement safety measures. In a hotel setting, where high volumes of guest and staff turnover require precise communication, an FRA enables the responsible person to take appropriate action to rectify any issues. This can be investing in equipment, removing potential hazards (points of ignition or fuel) and identifying who specifically may be at risk. For large venues like hotels, an FRA is crucial to protect both inside and outside the property. Different hotel rooms may also offer unique challenges which can only be combatted via addressing FRA checklists.
Why Do Hotels Need FRAs?
Hotels are ever-changing, fast-paced environments where fires can develop rapidly. FRAs help continuously assess and address emerging fire hazards.
Fires can be unpredictable. Both smoke and flames can rapidly cause harm to people and property if the right fire safety system is not in place. The responsible person has a legal duty to protect the safety of holidaymakers paying to access the hotel. However, it would be impossible for one person alone to manually protect the entire property. That’s why FRAs are so important. They create a system that can be used to quickly assess the space. Also, by following the FRA’s five steps, you will ensure that no fire safety hazards get missed. The more thorough the Fire Risk Assessment, the less likely a fire can suddenly emerge.
Legal hotels must also be accessible to all building occupants. Different people may have different needs that must be met for them to safely use the space. For example, someone who has mobility issues must still have full access and support to safely evacuate. An FRA can be used to assess areas in a hotel that may restrict access to wheelchairs. For example, an FRA will reveal that a stairwell can potentially prevent some individuals from evacuating safely. In this case, the FRA can be used to create a safe solution such as investing in evacuation chairs or mats.
How Frequently Does an FRA Need to be Performed?
Hotels must conduct Fire Risk Assessments annually. This combats the increased fire risks associated with sleeping guests.
Fire Risk Assessments are not just a legal requirement but a crucial tool. Regularly using an FRA gives you control over the fire safety of your hotel. Although you must legally perform an FRA once a year, OHEAP’s team of fire safety experts recommend more regular FRAs. Remember, in hotels, the volume of people can quickly affect the fire safety of the space. Regular FRAs enable you to keep up to date and to minimise developing fire threats.
What is the Difference Between a Hotel FRA and an Office Block FRA?
While hotel and office block FRAs fundamentally follow the same system, hotels require a more in-depth approach to combat guest vulnerability.
Both hotel FRAs and office block FRAs lay out the five steps the responsible person must address to achieve fire safety for the space. However, while performing FRAs for office blocks and hotels is a legal requirement they differ in terms of the hazards and risks that are likely to be identified and need to be overcome.
Hotel Fire Risk Assessments
Office Block Fire Risk Assessments
What are the Next Steps After an FRA?
After completing an FRA for a hotel, the responsible person must respond to any identified hazards or fire threats. The FRA will enable the responsible person to remove the risks or install safety solutions.
Addressing the FRA Report
The first step after completing an FRA is to review and address the issues reported by the FRA.
After performing an FRA, you will receive a detailed report, stating any fire risks or issues that must be resolved to ensure maximum fire protection for the hotel.
Equipment must be examined and serviced to ensure the quality does not fail when you need it the most. Similarly, obstruction can quickly develop in hotels. The FRA will allow you to remove these risks and ensure full access to the hotel space. An FRA will also categorise fire threats depending on their level of fire risk. Long-term fire risks are classed as low risk, short-term fire risks and moderate risks and any immediate fire risks are classed as high risk. This system offers guidance to the structure of how and when you deal with the individual fire threat.
Communication is vital when addressing various fire risks within hotels. The FRA must be kept clearly up to date to prevent unnecessary costs or damaged equipment and fire risks from getting lost in translation. If an investigation or fire inspection is suddenly required by the authorities, an updated FRA can protect liability.
Creating an Action Plan
An action plan breaks down what the responsible person must do to improve the hotel’s fire safety. For large spaces like hotels where costs can quickly increase, an FRA can save you money by ensuring all fire risks are managed to as low as reasonably practicable.
But what steps might you take in the action plan?
Fire Training for New Staff
Ensuring hotel staff are fire trained can save lives. Fire training ranges from safely using fire extinguishers to understanding how to guide others safely to evacuation points. There is a lot to learn to ensure comprehensive fire safety knowledge. However, fire training does not need to be overwhelming. OHEAP offer both in-person and online fire training. Whether you are a new member of staff or simply looking to freshen up your fire safety training, OHEAP’s team of experts are available to help.
Investing in Fire Safety Equipment
Knowing how to fight fire can only be effective if the hotel is equipped with the right fire safety equipment. Different areas of the hotel will require different types of equipment. For example, in hidden, or low-traffic areas like lifts automatic fire suppression systems are a fantastic choice to provide autonomous fire protection. Remember, that investing in fire safety equipment is only the first step. Your FRA will assess each device to check the quality. If there is any damage or effects of wear and tear you can fix these issues ahead of time, so the equipment doesn’t fail when you need it the most.
Regularly Servicing Emergency Lighting and Fire Doors
Emergency lighting and fire doors are crucial in hotels. For guests who don’t know the layout of the hotel, emergency lighting can guide them to safety. Non-maintained emergency lighting will activate as soon as there is a power cut, ensuring that all areas of the hotel remain visibly lit. Servicing equipment ensures that they will work as effectively as possible. Similarly, fire doors are crucial to enclosing fires within the burning room. They also create a barrier to protect hotel guests until the fire protection services has arrived. The responsible person can service equipment however they do not need to do it alone. If you ever have any doubt about fire safety our fire safety experts can offer guidance and assist with servicing equipment.
In Summary
Fire Risk Assessments are crucial to maintaining the safety of hotel guests and staff alike.
Investing in fire safety equipment can seem daunting. That’s why FRAs are available to offer a clear, comprehensive guide to fire safety. By conducting regular FRAs and following through on identified improvements, hotels can significantly enhance their fire safety measures and provide a safer environment for all.
