A hotel fire risk assessment has to answer one question above all: could every guest get out safely at three in the morning? People asleep in an unfamiliar building react more slowly, and that shapes everything the assessor looks at.
Your legal duty
Section 18(2) of the Fire Services Acts 1981 and 2003 places a duty on anyone having control of a premises other than a dwelling house. You must take all reasonable measures to guard against the outbreak of fire, and ensure as far as is reasonably practicable the safety of people on the premises. Hotels, guesthouses, B&Bs and hostels are all covered.
What the assessor checks in guest accommodation
- Escape routes: corridors, stairs and final exits kept clear, with signs a guest can follow without knowing the building.
- Fire detection and alarm: coverage in bedrooms, corridors and risk rooms, and whether the alarm would wake a sleeping guest.
- Fire doors: bedroom and corridor doors that close fully and are not wedged open.
- Emergency lighting: enough light to leave the building if the power fails.
- Kitchens, laundries and plant rooms: where fires are most likely to start.
- Night-time arrangements: how many staff are on duty and whether they know their roles.
- Guests who need help: how people with reduced mobility are identified and assisted.
- Records: the fire safety register, servicing, training and drills.
Seasonal staff and busy periods
Galway’s accommodation sector takes on extra staff for the summer and for festival weeks. New and temporary staff need fire safety instruction before they work a shift, and it should be recorded. If you add rooms, change the layout or open areas that were closed, review the assessment.
What you receive
A written report that ranks each finding by priority and explains what to do about it, so urgent items are dealt with first.
Safer Solutions carries out fire risk assessments for hotels and guesthouses across Galway city and county. Call 086 275 9728, email info@safersolutions.ie or request a quote.