Self catering holiday property

[Mushy]

Hi

can anyone tell me what part of a self catering holiday chalet is fire risk assessed, I know in flats its the common areas but what about chalets?...and come to that caravans?

sorry if this has been brought up before, if so can someone direct me to the thread. Thanks

[wee brian]

All of it

[Mushy]

Thanks


What confuses me about FRA'a is the training part...if its an office or factory etc staff need to have an evacuation policy in place and have places to assemble etc

When you are writing up the FRA for common parts of flats and caravans do you just miss that bit out?
Is there a procedure for the occupants of caravans to let the staff at the holiday park know if they have a fire in say the kitchen in the caravan? Some of these caravans are very close together

[wee brian]

Important words like - reasonable and where necessary are the important bits.

Nobody exects you to do a two day induction course for a fortnight in the cotswolds - but a note pinned to the door about where stuff is and what to do in a fire is a good start.

If you have staff that let people in/give them the keys, then you could train them to ensure that the guests are given all the info they need.

The whole ethos of the Order is to do whatever makes sense in the circumstances.

Not everybody gets this - including some of the enforcers.

[Mushy]

Thanks again wee Brian

[John Webb]

Mushy, the discussions under Topic 1357 Holiday Cottages (Q&A Forum under the RR(FS)O) and in this Fire Safety forum (Topic 2739 - Holiday Lets) may be of considerable interest to you as they are closely related to your query. (Sorry, can't work out how to make a link to another topic!)

My experience over 20+ years of using holiday self-catering cottages is that the reputable agencies insist on detection in the cottages, and a blanket or more (usually a DP extinguisher) in the kitchen. When the booking is  accepted the hirer is often given a small booklet describing what they should do and not do when they are at the cottage. This usually includes basic fire precaution material. The agencies insist on record keeping and this usually includes PAT on the electrical items.

In the property there is usually an 'Emergency' card displayed giving again basic fire precautions and 'What to do in case of fire' instructions plus medical contacts in the area.

[AnthonyB]

As far as training goes, a lot of caravans, static caravans, etc used to be provided with fire action & fire prevention notices, often stuck inside the main wardrobe door - you can't sit the guests on a training course, but you can provide the appropriate information & advise they read it.

[PhilB]

As far as training goes, a lot of caravans, static caravans, etc used to be provided with fire action & fire prevention notices, often stuck inside the main wardrobe door - you can't sit the guests on a training course, but you can provide the appropriate information & advise they read it.

...and there is of course no legal requirement to train the guests, although it may be nice to try, it is only employees that must be provided with adequate training.

Also articles 19 and 20 only require information to be given to employees and sel-employed from outside undertakings, not to anyone else.

Of course it could be argued that to ensure that the evacuation procedures (Article 15) and fire safety arrangements(Article 11) are appropriate ......some information must be provided to guests.

[Tom Sutton]

I think these are the threads John was suggesting http://www.fire.org.uk/punbb/upload/viewtopic.php?id=1357 and http://www.fire.org.uk/punbb/upload/viewtopic.php?id=2739

[John Webb]

Thanks, TW. Can you let me know, either here or by PM, how you get the URL of a topic into a post - couldn't see anything about it in the Help section.

[CivvyFSO]

If you type it in or paste it then it automatically makes it a hyperlink.

So, the long explanation would be, find the post you want to paste in, while you are viewing that post you should right-click in the address bar where you have the URL, select 'copy'
Then go back to the post that you want to insert the address into, right click where you want it inserting, select 'paste' (This will work for internet explorer only.)

[John Webb]

Thanks for that - I had an idea cutting and pasting would come into it somewhere. Shame I'm useless at wallpapering.....

[Mushy]

Thanks all

Just reading through those links and it seems some think holiday lets are part of the Order and others don't...any final outcomes on if they are or not?

[The Colonel]

The 3 Welsh fire services have taken legal advice on the subject which came to the conclusion that holiday lets came under the RRO and required fire risk assessments. In a meeting with the tourist board Visit Wales between them, the fire service and the Welsh Assembly it was clearly stated in the minutes that the services consider them to need fire risk assessments

[Mushy]

Thanks Colonel