With numerous hotel fires over recent years, including major incidents that underscore the ongoing risk, protecting your hotel against the threat of fire is an essential and evolving responsibility. The nature of the hospitality sector presents unique challenges. The constant changing footfall of the public, employees working on shift patterns and extended food production periods in the hotels’ kitchens makes the regular monitoring of operations exceptionally challenging.
The UK hospitality industry, covering hotels, restaurants, and pubs, is consistently identified as one of the sectors most vulnerable to fire incidents. For example, in the last year, there were over 1,900 fires recorded in the hospitality sector in England alone, with accidental fires posing a greater risk than deliberate ones, which highlights that unattended cooking, electrical faults, and smoking materials are the main culprits. This constant threat necessitates a proactive and integrated approach to fire safety, encompassing both state-of-the-art detection technology and robust staff training, an area we explore further in our guide to fire safety and security solutions for the hospitality industry.
Given the complexity of operations, which often include high-risk areas like commercial kitchens and guest accommodation, implementing modern systems is no longer a luxury, but a necessity to protect lives, assets, and reputation.
Keep reading as we look at the causes of some of the latest hotel fires, then the steps you can take to protect your hotel from the threat of fire as well as possible.
The fire at the 5-star luxury Mandarin Oriental in London in June 2018 highlighted how even the most prestigious venues are vulnerable. Thankfully, no one was hurt, but the extensive nature of the response drew global attention. Whilst initial reports suggested welding works taking place on the roof may have been the cause, the incident underscored the critical importance of strictly managing hot works permits and contractor accreditation on all sites, especially in historic or complex buildings like those common in property management portfolios.
The tragic Gateway to Wales Hotel fire in Flintshire in December 2017, which destroyed large parts of the building, was deemed by the North Wales Fire & Rescue Service as likely to be electrical in origin. This is a major reminder, as the latest data shows that faulty or misused electrical equipment is the leading cause of workplace fires in the UK, accounting for nearly a fifth of all incidents. This emphasises the need for stringent regular inspection and maintenance of all electrical systems and appliances within the hotel environment.
The devastating Cameron House Hotel fire in Scotland on the very same day in December 2017, which sadly resulted in the loss of two guests’ lives, demonstrated the immense and rapid danger of fire in guest-facing areas. The Fatal Accident Inquiry (FAI) that followed found that the fire started in the concierge cupboard and spread rapidly due to a combination of factors, including the improper storage of kindling and ash, highlighting the deadly consequences of failing to adhere to fire risk assessment findings. The FAI also found that the installation of sprinklers would have resulted in the deaths being avoided, prompting serious discussion about fire suppression systems in hotels, an issue explored in depth by International Fire Protection Magazine. The increasing scrutiny on fire safety measures in commercial properties means it is vital to review and upgrade systems, potentially including fire suppression solutions beyond standard alarms.
The lessons from these events are clear. Hotels must adhere to the highest standards of fire safety, integrating best practices across people, processes, and technology.
Ensuring you have an up to date fire risk assessment is imperative in ensuring your existing fire protection systems are adequate and compliant. The law requires the responsible person to review existing fire risk assessments regularly, or immediately if any structural changes to a building take place or any change to the use of an area occurs. For instance, converting a storage area into a staff break room, common in busy leisure settings, must trigger a review. A fire risk assessment will also identify any areas of risk, including any non-compliances which need to be addressed immediately. Not following these through will put you at risk of prosecution under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order. Is your fire risk assessment up to date? You can get a quick online cost for a fire risk assessment from our instant quote calculator here.
The category of your fire alarm system must be what is specified in your fire risk assessment. Regular maintenance of the whole fire alarm system ensures the system is in good working order. As well as the regular maintenance, your system should also be subject to a weekly test. This ensures the system is responding correctly in between maintenance visits. The weekly test identifies any faults in the system so they can be rectified immediately. Also, record any results in a fire safety logbook. Furthermore, considering an approved alarm monitoring service is crucial, as delayed notification can significantly worsen the outcome of an incident. Our article on the importance of fire alarm monitoring offers valuable insight into how remote vigilance can cut down on crucial response time.
Ensuring all members of staff have received basic fire safety training is your responsibility. You also need to ensure you have a good ratio of employees trained as fire wardens, particularly across different shifts. Therefore, with shift patterns taken into consideration, you’ll have the minimum required number of fire wardens on-site at any time, a process often made easier by having dedicated fire warden training. This is particularly vital in sectors like healthcare or hospitality where 24/7 staffing is standard. For a deeper dive into making your team proactive, see our advice on creating fire safety champions within your team.
Schedule a regular walkaround to ensure fire exits are free from clutter. This is vital in ensuring staff and guests have a free route to exit. Equally, ensuring your system maintenance contract includes emergency lighting will ensure escape routes are adequately lit in case of evacuation. This includes checking the status of all fire doors, as they are a critical component of compartmentation, designed to slow the spread of fire and smoke to protect escape routes, which is vital for multi-storey buildings like hotels. We also offer a dedicated guide on how emergency lighting can save lives in UK business environments.
Whilst the risk of being targeted by arsonists can’t be completely mitigated, it can be minimised by simple site housekeeping. The recent rise in arson attacks across various UK sectors, as reported by CheckFire, makes a vigilant approach essential. Keep storage and rubbish disposal areas clear and lock away flammable materials. Also, lock and secure delivery/loading areas when not in use. Advanced CCTV systems, especially those integrated with AI-powered video analytics, are also a powerful deterrent of criminal activity, offering proactive protection in areas like retail or hotel parking.
All soft furnishings, beds, sofas, carpets, indoor and outdoor furniture must be compliant with the relevant fire safety regulations, which typically includes the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire Safety) Regulations 1988 (as amended). This helps to significantly reduce the risk of fire spreading quickly throughout the hotel. This also includes any temporary items brought into the hotel such as Christmas trees and decorations. It is also important to consider the materials used in structural elements, such as implementing passive fire protection to ensure the building itself is compartmentalised against fire spread.
The incident at the Mandarin Oriental serves as a stark warning about the risks associated with third-party work. To minimise risk, it’s wise to ensure that any contractors working on-site have accreditations by the appropriate bodies for their work. For example, in this case, the contractor should be Hot Work compliant and have a Hot Work permit. By choosing certified and accredited fire and security partners, you ensure that installations and maintenance comply with the latest industry standards like those detailed on our accreditations page, providing peace of mind and supporting your insurer’s requirements, an important consideration explored in our guide on what insurers look for in security system certification. For high-risk operations, like those in the utilities sector, this level of due diligence is even more critical.
To truly safeguard a commercial property like a hotel, a converged solution is often the most effective and cost-efficient approach. Integrating fire detection with security systems, such as linking fire alarms to an access control system to automatically unlock doors on activation, creates a seamless and faster emergency response. Furthermore, modern smart fire systems can provide remote diagnostics, reducing false alarms, a significant issue, as false alarms now account for over 40% of all incidents attended by Fire and Rescue Services, according to the latest UK Government statistics. By adopting a connected approach to all your building services, you can enhance safety, compliance, and operational efficiency simultaneously.
BusinessWatch are specialists in the installation of complete fire safety and security solutions for the hotel and leisure industry. To discuss your hotel’s requirements with one of our industry experts, please call us on 0330 094 7404 or complete your details and we’ll get back to you asap.
Also, for a comprehensive guide to ensuring your hotel is compliant with fire legislation, download our free Fire Safety Compliance Guide.
