Every business, including the hospitality industry, has its unique fire dangers that must be addressed. Premises like hotels have a large number of people staying in them at any same time, which makes it of the utmost importance to have the best fire protection in place. But what are the main causes of fire in the hospitality industry?
Fire hazards in hotels
Several factors put hotels at risk of a fire hazard. They are high-risk environments because they have a high number of guests, the staff are sometimes overworked, and guests are also in unfamiliar surroundings. This can all make a possible evacuation more difficult.
Your fire safety strategy might be jeopardised by outdated fire safety equipment, layout modifications, and lack of organisation. Damaged fire doors, damaged smoke seals, clutter, and ill-fitting doors along escape routes are just a few of the common breaches discovered in hotels that can make it difficult for guests or workers to escape in an emergency.
To mitigate the main causes of fire in hospitality settings, precautions should be taken. For example, conducting regular inspections and providing staff fire training sessions to employees every year will ensure that your hotel is prepared for any emergencies.
Accidents involving cooking equipment
When it comes to the main causes of fire in hotels or restaurants, kitchens are one of the most common starting points. Heated oil and fat can easily ignite if they overheat or are forgotten.
Commercial kitchens are notoriously hectic, with chefs and sous chefs rushing in all directions, making it an environment prone to accidents. Additionally, a lot of electrical equipment might cause a fire hazard.
You can do a few things to reduce the danger of a kitchen fire. The first step is to ensure that all employees are adequately taught to be aware of possible fire threats and to know how to respond in the event of a fire.
Different types of fire extinguishers should be used for the many fires that are likely to occur in a kitchen. Thus, it’s critical that everyone understands which type of extinguisher to use for which type of fire.
Electrical appliances
Electrical appliances continue to be one of the main causes of fire in the hospitality industry and in both commercial and residential settings.
For example, hairdryers and kettles in hotel rooms, lights and illumination in pubs and restaurants, as well as any heating/cooling systems, can all cause problems.
Electrical appliances are more likely to cause a fire if they are deteriorated or overused.
It’s critical that every appliance is inspected by a professional once a year to ensure that they’re in good working order and to offer you the best chance of catching any possible problems early on.
Smoking
Despite smoking being prohibited almost everywhere these days and there is significantly fewer smokers overall, smoking is still a primary cause of fires, with carelessly dropped cigarettes that have not been properly extinguished being a common occurrence.
If smoking is prohibited within your business, installing smoke alarms to detect violations is necessary. Where smoking is permitted, receptacles or ashtrays should be readily visible and accessible so cigarettes can be securely disposed of.
Exit routes that are clogged
Exit pathways that are clogged are often the cause of fire in the hospitality industry. When boxes and trash are stored near a fire exit, these items can easily become a serious hazard and catch fire, leaving you with little time to respond and blocking important escape routes. This is a simple to prevent yet surprisingly prevalent source of the fire.
Preventing fires with fire safety equipment
Hundreds of people might be thrown into an emergency scenario if a fire breaks out in a hotel or restaurant, and the business could suffer irreversible financial and infrastructure damage.
The only way to assist avert catastrophe is to take the necessary precautions and ensure that you have suitable fire safety equipment.
Detection systems, such as fire alarms, should be maintained and checked regularly to ensure that they are always ready to respond and provide the greatest chance for visitors and personnel to deal with the fire/escape. Alarms must be audible, and call points should be strategically located around the facility.
Firefighting equipment, emergency lights, and fire safety signage should all be properly identified, maintained, and defined for your hotel. In the case of an evacuation, emergency lights and signs will assist visitors and personnel, and staff training for firefighting equipment will immediately reduce the danger of a fire if one occurs. Understanding the main causes of fire in the hospitality industry is the first step in working to reduce them.
At 1st Attendance, we are experts in staff fire training. Take a look at our courses and get in touch with us to discuss what the best option is for you and your team.