B&B's in Scotland.

[Tom Sutton]

What is the present situation regarding B&B's in Scotland have they come up with any guidance yet. I know we have "Do you have paying guests?" at http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/fire/payingguests but what about Scotland.

[Phoenix]

I understand what you're after and I can't help I'm afraid; but I also can't help thinking, "How does the fire know if it's in England or in Scotland?"

Stu

[nearlythere]

"How does the fire know if it's in England or in Scotland?"

Stu

Cos it will burn with an English or Scottish accent.

[ando]

still in limbo up here! Draught guidance came out late last year for consultation, but nothing has happened yet.
It was a real mixed bag of the good the bad and the complete bonkers (keys in glass boxes). some of it seems to have been written by people who were in fire safety about 40 years ago. It did accept 10 year battery wireless systems which would be apporopriate in many cases.  It also missed out alot of things that aught to have been in there for the complete fire safety novice. ie vents above doors, if i had a pound for everytime someone proudly showed off their fire doors and had missed the great big hole in the wall above it, i would be rather well off.
Another oddity was doors, rightly it says eggshell doors are no use, but makes no mention of glazed doors or glazing around doors.
Lets hope something sensible appears in the near future.

[Tom Sutton]

Thanks ando however I do take issue on the "it seems to have been written by people who were in fire safety about 40 years" we would have agreed with you to the letter. The reason is more likely it was created by a committee of people with vested interests with little knowledge of fire safety, out ruling the ones that did.

You know what they say about committees “A camel is a horse designed by a committee”. 

[kurnal]

I agree that some aspects of the draft guidance were crass. And the range of premises it covered was very wide in terms of size.
But recent comments by the shadow Home Secretary in respect of operators of small B&Bs that were essentially someones home should have the right to turn prospective customers away for whatever reason they so choose got me thinking.

Maybe the old FP Act had it right, in designating premises offering sleeping accommodation for more than six persons ....... any accommodation above the first floor and below the ground floor .... etc. and making very light provision for small premises that fell outside that description.

Under the current legislation my view is that for small premises that are the principal residence of the owner and offer sleeping accommodation for no more than six persons etc we should should expect to see nothing more and nothing less than the standards for physical fire precautions applicable to a private dwelling under current building codes.  


 Oh and off topic - I think because its your home you should retain the right to pick and choose who you wish to share your home with -  even if they are paying for the privilege. 

[Chris Houston]

“A camel is a horse designed by a committee”

What's wrong with camels?

[Tom Sutton]

What's wrong with camels?

Nothing but they are not horses  

Interesting point Kurnal but its domestic premises where to many people are fatalities should we subject paying customers to this? There was a thread about fatalities in B&B but I am not sure about the outcome.

Found it http://www.kingfell.com/~forum/index.php?topic=3504.0 but it doesn't help.

[nearlythere]

What's wrong with camels?

Nothing but they are not horses  

Interesting point Kurnal but its domestic premises where to many people are fatalities should we subject paying customers to this? There was a thread about fatalities in B&B but I am not sure about the outcome.

Found it http://www.kingfell.com/~forum/index.php?topic=3504.0 but it doesn't help.

Not really about fire safety standards. It's about cost effective measures for small businesses.

[Chris Houston]

What's wrong with camels?

Nothing but they are not horses  

Yes, true.  If you wanted to design a horse, but designed a camel, that could only be a failure.  But who tries to design something that has already been designed?  I think in general non-warefare terms, the camel is the superior:

http://www.jrank.org/history/pages/5970/Camel-Domestication.html

[Tom Sutton]

I shall join the camel appreciation society tomorrow. Promise!