Top Hotel Fire Safety Tips
You are enjoying your break in your luxurious hotel – what’s the last thing you want to hear when you’re relaxing in your room? That’s right – the fire alarm! However, in the event of that happening, you want to know that every precaution has been taken for you to be able to exit the hotel quickly and without harm.
There are a number of preventative measures that your hotel will have taken to ensure that safety for you. Here are some of the main aspects to consider:
1. Carry out regular hotel fire risk assessments
Identify the hazards and the ways fire could start. Consider who may be at risk – guests are the most vulnerable as they won’t be familiar with the building (and may be asleep at fire outbreak). Arrange regular checks for appliances, plugs and other potential sources of fire outbreak. Ensure all these checks and actions taken for fire prevention are formally recorded.
2. Appoint fire wardens
Ensure you appoint competent, responsible people to be Fire Wardens and that they receive the relevant technical and practical fire safety training in order that they know how to both prevent, and fight, fire should it become necessary.
3. Train all hotel staff on fire prevention
Provide fire training for all staff and carry out full fire drills at least twice a year for all staff across all shifts. Record any training, drills and equipment checks in the Fire Safety Log Book. Ensure all staff know who the designated Fire Wardens are on every shift.
4. Install fire detection and alarm systems
All hotels have a legal obligation to have fire detection and alarm systems in place. Check smoke detectors regularly. Ensure that all alarms are loud enough to wake potentially sleeping guests and consider visual alarms as well, to help those guests with hearing disabilities.
5. Regular maintenance and repairs
Regularly check all the hotel bedroom doors, the Fire Doors, emergency lighting and firefighting equipment to ensure all are in working order. Check also, on a regular basis, all kitchen appliances, plug sockets and electrical equipment in the hotel rooms.
6. Clearly planned evacuation strategy
This can depend on the type and size of the hotel. The most common forms of evacuation strategy are a) Simultaneous Evacuation, where the alarms alert all rooms and floors at once and all people are evacuated at the same time or b) Vertical or Horizontal Evacuation, where there is a ‘phased’ evacuation and people are alerted and evacuated in a certain order.
7. Plan and clearly mark evacuation routes
All escapes should allow people to reach a place of safety regardless of where a fire has broken out. Therefore, there should be more than one route in place and should be kept clear, highlighted and ventilated, at all times.
8. Ensure hotel guest have all relevant information
Finally, all guests should be furnished with the relevant information and procedures in the event of a fire. Fire safety information sheets, detailing all procedures, exits, and assembly points should be made available to ALL guests and be prominently displayed in all common areas and rooms.
