A safe winter for your guests: seven fire and gas safety steps for a small guesthouse
As the weather turns cold, heaters come on, fireplaces get lit and the kitchen is busier than ever. Your guests sleep in a place they don't know, so if something goes wrong, they rely on how prepared you are. The good news is that most of what's needed is simple and inexpensive.
The UK Home Office publishes a short guide, "Making your small paying guest accommodation safe from fire", written for B&Bs, guesthouses, holiday lets and other small places to stay. The steps below are taken from it. Rules differ between countries and cities, so treat these as a starting point and check exact requirements with your local fire service.
1. Write a simple risk check
The guide asks whoever runs the property to assess fire risks, record what they find and review it regularly. Walk through room by room and ask: where could a fire start, what would burn, and how would guests get out? The guide also says to think about everyone who might stay, including older people, very young children and disabled people.
2. Service heating and gas before the cold sets in
The guide says heating and hot water systems should be serviced every year by a qualified contractor, and gas appliances checked every year too. Avoid portable heaters as far as possible; if you must use one, choose a model with an automatic cut-off and never put it near curtains, bedding or an exit route. For an open fire or log burner, fit a fire guard, have the chimney swept at least once a year, and store wood and kindling away from hot surfaces.
3. Fit smoke and carbon monoxide alarms
The guide recommends smoke alarms wherever a fire might start, such as the hall, landing, living room and bedrooms, with a heat alarm in the kitchen instead so cooking fumes and steam don't set off false alarms. Ideally the alarms are interlinked, so when one sounds they all do. Wherever there's a gas or wood-burning appliance, a carbon monoxide alarm is needed too; the gas has no colour or smell, and only a detector will notice it.
4. Keep the way out clear at all times
Halls and stairs are your guests' escape route. The guide stresses that they must not become storage and must stay free of anything that burns. Exit doors should open from the inside without a key; a simple latch or thumb turn is usually enough. Ask guests to close room and kitchen doors at night, because a closed door slows smoke and fire and buys time to get out.
5. Be ready for a power cut
If a fire cuts the power, guests still need to see their way out. For the smallest properties, the guide suggests a rechargeable torch in each bedroom that lights up automatically when the power fails, with a small sign explaining what it's for. Plug-in night lights that come on when the power fails are also a good option for halls and stairs.
6. Keep a regular upkeep routine
The guide gives a clear list: check daily that exits are clear; each month, test the alarms and make sure they're loud enough to wake a sleeping person, test the torches and open any doors that aren't used often; and have fire extinguishers serviced every year. The electrical installation should be inspected at least every five years, and smoke alarms typically last about ten years. Where no host is on site, do the weekly and monthly checks at each change of guests. Write the results in a simple log book or spreadsheet.
7. Prepare guests with a short sheet
The guide says to include the escape route and the location of exit doors in your guest information pack, and to tell guests that in a fire they should leave by the nearest exit and call the fire service from outside. Don't expect guests to fight a fire; getting out is the safest thing to do. Spell out your smoking policy, don't provide candles or incense for guests, and put safe-use instructions next to the cooker. Prepare the sheet in your guests' languages and print the fire service number large on it (125 in Iran).
One task for this week
This week, test every alarm and walk from the bedrooms to the front door once in the dark, using only a torch. Wherever you bump into something or lose your way, you've found the first job in your winter safety plan.
Sources
Making your small paying guest accommodation safe from fire, Home Office, GOV.UK
Fire safety risk assessment: sleeping accommodation, Home Office, GOV.UK
Winter is the season of fireside stories; make sure the only thing your guests remember about fire is its warmth. Wishing you a warm and peaceful winter.
