Staff in attendance in hotel

[Tom Sutton]

I received the following enquiry any views,

By law must there be a night porter or member of staff on site at all times due to the potential risk of fire? If not what is best practice?

[longjohn]

I guess it must depend on the size of the hotel and the fire risk assessment. I stayed at a small unmanned guest house the other week, six rooms, the owner/manager came in in the morning an did the breakfasts. Just the fire action notice on the inside of the room door. There was a contact number also but that was for everything connected with the stay.

[Tom Sutton]

Thanks longjohn more or less my feelings but I can understand why a hotelier would want somebody available on site to deal with guests inquires, but is it needed for organising a fire evacuation, large blocks of flats manage without somebody organising them.

[kurnal]

Yes but large blocks of flats don't have fire alarms and usually don't evacuate the whole building when there is a fire in a flat.

Without case Law there is no hard and fast answer to this. It is the responsible persons duty to have a suitable fire emergency plan and to appoint persons to assist in the implementation of that plan. Some responsible persons running smaller hotels feel that a notice in the back of a door represents a suitable and sufficient emergency plan. We are all waiting for a court case to give us a legal precedent.

Theres a smallish hotel in Borough, London of 6 storeys with a single staircase  where this is the case, the RP wedges all the fire doors open at night and then goes and sleeps somewhere else leaving his valued guests to their fate.  I spent one uncomfortable night there and tried to educate him but without any effect.

[Owain]

Thanks longjohn more or less my feelings but I can understand why a hotelier would want somebody available on site to deal with guests inquires, but is it needed for organising a fire evacuation, large blocks of flats manage without somebody organising them.

Large blocks of flats may have better compartmentation and in terms of evacuation are usually occupied by residents familiar with the premises, and to some extent with each other, and who hopefully take responsibility for their own safety.

Houses of multiple occupation are known to be a higher fire risk and part of this is that occupants don't feel responsible; hotels may be similar, with guests transiently resident.

[longjohn]

I've just put an item on called 'are we confronting more these days' it's connected with hotels (sort of)