Fire Risk Assessments for Newquay & Perranporth: Preparing for Autumn and Winter
As the busy summer season draws to a close, holiday businesses across Newquay, Perranporth and the surrounding north Cornwall coast begin preparing for a different kind of visitor.
Cornwall certainly doesn’t close when summer ends. Autumn breaks, winter escapes, Christmas holidays and New Year stays are an important part of the local tourism season. Visitors come for quieter beaches, dramatic coastal walks, cosy pubs and evenings beside a log burner or relaxing in a hot tub.
But a change of season can also bring a change in fire risk.
For holiday accommodation providers, hospitality businesses and other local premises, autumn is a good opportunity to review fire precautions and make sure the fire risk assessment still reflects how the property is actually being used.
Fire Risk Assessments in Newquay, Perranporth and North Cornwall
Cornwall Fire Risk Assessments by JCH Safety provides professional fire risk assessments for businesses and holiday accommodation throughout Cornwall.
Around Newquay, Perranporth and the north Cornwall coast, we can support premises including:
Holiday cottages and coastal apartments
Bed and breakfasts and guest houses
Hotels and hostels
Caravan and holiday parks
Campsites and glamping businesses
Pubs, cafés and restaurants
Surf schools and activity providers
Shops and visitor attractions
Schools and community buildings
Offices and other commercial premises
Common areas of blocks of flats and mixed-use buildings
The area contains everything from modern purpose-built accommodation to traditional cottages and buildings that have been converted, extended or altered over many years.
There is no one-size-fits-all approach. The fire precautions needed should reflect the building, its layout, its occupants and how it is actually used.
That is particularly important where guests are sleeping in unfamiliar surroundings.
How Fire Risks Change After the Summer Season
During the summer, businesses may be dealing with high occupancy, busy kitchens, seasonal employees and rapid changeovers between guests.
As autumn and winter arrive, the risks can change.
Colder, darker weather can mean:
Heating appliances are used more frequently
Log burners and open fires return to use
Guests spend more time indoors
Portable heaters are introduced
Hot tubs operate for longer and in wetter conditions
Christmas and other decorative lighting is installed
Drying and laundry facilities are used more heavily
Wet-weather equipment and seasonal storage can affect circulation or escape routes
Some premises operate with fewer employees or lone workers
A suitable fire risk assessment should consider the way the premises operates throughout the year, rather than looking only at the height of the summer season.
Log Burners, Open Fires and Chimney Safety
For many visitors, a log burner is part of the appeal of an autumn or winter break in Cornwall.
It is also an additional source of heat and ignition that needs to be managed properly.
Log burners, flues and chimneys should be appropriately installed, maintained and cleaned. Furniture, baskets of logs, decorations and other combustible materials should also be kept an appropriate distance from the appliance.
Depending on the property and its occupants, suitable guarding may also be necessary.
Guests should be given simple, clear information explaining how the appliance is intended to be used, including:
Which fuels can be used
How the fire should be operated
Where ash should be placed
What should be kept away from the appliance
What to do if a fire or carbon monoxide alarm activates
Suitable carbon monoxide detection should also be provided where required, with testing and maintenance forming part of the property's normal safety arrangements.
A fire risk assessment can consider the appliance alongside the wider layout, escape arrangements and occupancy of the accommodation.
Hot Tubs and Electrical Fire Safety
Hot tubs remain popular in Cornwall throughout the colder months, but they also bring electrical equipment into an outdoor environment that can be wet, exposed and, particularly around the coast, harsh.
Electrical supplies, pumps, heaters and associated equipment should be properly installed and maintained. Temporary extension leads and unsuitable outdoor electrical connections should not be relied upon.
Owners should consider matters such as:
The suitability of the electrical installation
The condition of cables, isolators and enclosures
Appropriate electrical protection
Access to isolation controls
Manufacturer-recommended maintenance and servicing
Safe storage of chemicals
Proximity to timber decking and other combustible structures
Suitable instructions for guests
Hot tubs are also often added to an established holiday let at a later date.
Where significant changes are made to a property, its equipment or the way it is used, the existing fire risk assessment should be reviewed to make sure it remains suitable.
Fire Alarms and Detection in Holiday Accommodation
Guests staying in a holiday cottage, apartment or guest house are unlikely to know the building as well as its owner.
Early warning of a fire is therefore particularly important.
The appropriate fire detection and alarm arrangements depend on factors including the size, layout, construction and occupancy of the premises. A small self-contained holiday cottage and a larger guest house will not necessarily require the same arrangements.
Detection should be appropriately located, maintained and capable of providing suitable warning to sleeping occupants.
Testing should form part of the property's regular checking arrangements, including during guest changeovers where appropriate, with faults or damaged equipment dealt with promptly.
Providing a smoke alarm alone does not necessarily demonstrate that the overall detection arrangements are suitable. Its location, coverage, condition and suitability for the premises all need to be considered.
Escape Routes and Final Exit Doors
In an emergency, guests need to be able to leave the property quickly and without having to understand a complicated locking arrangement or search for a key.
Escape routes should be kept clear, suitably lit and straightforward to follow. Final exits should be capable of being opened readily from inside when the premises are occupied.
This can require particular consideration in Cornwall's traditional cottages and converted buildings, where features may include:
Steep or narrow staircases
Open-plan living areas
Bedrooms within roof spaces
Inner rooms
Changes in floor level
Limited alternative escape routes
Older doors and unusual locking arrangements
Where buildings have been converted, extended or significantly altered, the relationship between escape routes, fire doors, detection and the building's fire-resisting construction should be considered as a whole.
Christmas Decorations and Seasonal Events
Christmas lights, trees and decorations can make a holiday cottage, pub, restaurant or hotel feel particularly welcoming during the winter season.
They should, however, be introduced with fire safety in mind.
Decorations should not obscure exit signs, interfere with detectors or emergency lighting, or be positioned too close to log burners, open fires, heaters and cooking equipment.
Electrical decorations should be kept in good condition and appropriately switched off when not required.
The use of naked flames should also be carefully considered, particularly in holiday accommodation where guests are unfamiliar with the property.
Pubs, hotels and other hospitality venues may also need to consider whether Christmas parties, entertainment or New Year events change their normal occupancy, staffing or fire safety arrangements.
Don't Forget Seasonal Staff
Newquay and Perranporth businesses often rely on seasonal and temporary employees.
Even experienced hospitality workers need to understand the arrangements in the particular premises where they are working.
Staff should know:
How to raise the alarm
What to do when the alarm activates
How to contact the fire and rescue service
Where the escape routes and assembly points are
What assistance they may be expected to provide to guests
Any arrangements for people who may need additional assistance
How and when firefighting equipment should be used, where relevant
How to report missing or damaged fire safety equipment
Training should be refreshed when employees return for another season or when the arrangements within the premises have changed.
When Should a Fire Risk Assessment Be Reviewed?
A fire risk assessment should remain a useful reflection of the premises and the risks within it.
A review may be appropriate following changes such as:
Building alterations or refurbishment
Installation of a log burner or hot tub
Changes to sleeping arrangements or occupancy
Conversion to holiday accommodation
Changes to doors, locks or escape routes
Installation or alteration of fire detection systems
A fire, significant alarm activation or near miss
Changes to the way the business operates
Introduction of new equipment or seasonal activities
The quieter period following the summer season can be an ideal opportunity to identify and address issues before Christmas bookings or the following year's main holiday season.
Professional Fire Risk Assessments in Newquay and Perranporth
Cornwall Fire Risk Assessments by JCH Safety provides competent, practical fire risk assessments for holiday accommodation, hospitality venues and other businesses throughout Newquay, Perranporth and the wider north Cornwall area.
JCH Safety brings more than 20 years of health and safety and fire safety experience. Our assessor is a Chartered Health and Safety Practitioner, an NFRAR Registered Fire Risk Assessor and an Associate of the Institution of Fire Engineers.
Our approach is practical and proportionate.
A traditional coastal cottage, a small bed and breakfast and a large holiday park are very different premises. Our assessments consider the building and the way it is actually used, with reports providing clear and prioritised recommendations where improvements are required.
Arrange a Fire Risk Assessment in North Cornwall
If you operate a holiday let, guest house, hotel, hospitality venue or other business in Newquay, Perranporth or the surrounding area, we can help you understand your fire safety responsibilities and whether your existing arrangements remain suitable.
We provide fire risk assessments across Cornwall, including Newquay, Perranporth, Truro, Falmouth, St Austell, Bodmin, Wadebridge, Padstow and surrounding areas.
Get in touch with Cornwall Fire Risk Assessments by JCH Safety to discuss your premises or request a quotation.