Flags in Places of Entertainment

[hughskid]

With the World Cup fast approaching have you noticed the amount of Public Houses that have covered the walls and ceilings in flags and bunting?

I mentioned this to a guy behind the bar at our local and he didn't see the potential danger it poses with regards to fire spread. I spoke to one of the IO's who deals with Entertainment’s and he said there is not much that can be done apart from insist on a Risk Assessment, by which time the World Cup would be over etc.

As Places of Entertainment is not my field I don't know if that is true. Does anybody have any idea, just out of interest?

[wee brian]

I used to work with local auhtority licensing officers in Westminster. They used to crack down on this kind of thing in Ents premises.

Of course they won't be able to do anything come October.

[jokar]

I would have thought that these have increased the risk as they are an additional hazard in a workplace/licensed premises and that the risk assessment will need to be reviewed to accomodate this risk.  I would be surprised if some FRS's didn't take action.

[jayjay]

The surface finish of walls and ceilings regading flammability and combustibility is controlled by Building Regulations and in entertainment premises licence conditions should restrict the surfaces as well. The Licening Authority and the fire authority should respond when informed of such changes.
There are plenty of examples of deaths due to fires involving flammable materials, Boston Coconut Grove and Stardust Nightclub to name two large ones.

Whilst on about flags the large flags that are passed around football grounds caused some concern a few years ago in this area, The flags where upto 40ft by 50 ft and it was required under the Safety at Sports Ground Act to have them made fire retardant in case some idiot deceided to put a match to one.
dont know how the european clubs get away with the flares and fire works in the grounds.

[Nearlybaldandgrey]

The answer is that all flags in licensed premises should be flame retardant or treated as such.

At the moment, we are under instructions to ascertain that the flags meet the requirements and if needs be, take appropriate action to remove them.

Of course, the licensing authorities should be checking too, and the owners/occupiers should be revising the fire risk assessment for ther period that the world cup is on.

[kurnal]

Jayjay
The building regulations cannot control existing premises,  the power of the builing inspector to enforce the regulations lapses after a year from completion. And one of the principles of the licensing Act 2003 was to get rid of standard conditions attached to licences and only have the minimum  conditions that were specific to the premises. So I bet there wont be one.