Practical Fire Safety Guidance For Small Premises Providing Sleeping
Accommodation
45
the discharge horn of this extinguisher can startle operators. It should be noted that CO
2
may
not cool a fire appreciably and the fire may therefore re-ignite.
210. A fire blanket may be used to smother a small fire involving oil or fat and so are
often best located in kitchens.
211. Staff should not be expected to attempt to extinguish a fire without training. Where
fire-fighting equipment is provided, a suitable number of staff should be trained in its use.
212. The fire safety risk assessment should take particular cognisance of fire-fighting
equipment and its use in premises which are not usually staffed. The law indicates that in
some circumstances, competent persons should implement fire-fighting measures and, in
this regard, it may not be reasonable to expect all persons, in all categories of premises and
circumstances, to receive specific training on the use of fire-fighting equipment (fire
extinguishers or fire blankets). Such persons may include guests staying in a holiday
cottage or within a bed and breakfast type establishment for relatively short periods of time.
Similarly, it may not be practicable for all persons resident for longer periods, for example
within an HMO, to receive such training.
213. However, if, as a result of the fire safety risk assessment, it is ascertained that
persons on the premises should be permitted to tackle a small fire where they consider it
safe to do so, then an appropriate level of instruction should be provided for them. For
example, this may involve the provision of written instructions for residents in leased holiday
home accommodation advising them to familiarise themselves with the location of fire-
fighting equipment and the operating instructions on the equipment. Alternatively, it may
involve identifying, where appropriate, a limited number of residents/tenants to fulfil a basic
fire marshalling role, such as in certain HMO accommodation. The overall aims are to
ensure that a small fire does not become large enough to endanger life safety.
214. The following are benchmarks against which existing provision can be compared
215. Although the final number of portable fire extinguishers should be determined by
the outcome of the fire safety risk assessment, one or two of the appropriate type, readily
available for use, may be all that is necessary. They can be positioned on escape routes,
close to room or storey exits or, if necessary, adjacent to hazards. It can be good practice to
group extinguishers together in fire points at a similar position on each floor. However, for
small premises, multi-purpose powder extinguishers capable of covering a range of risks,
may be appropriate. They should be placed on a dedicated stand or hung on a wall at a
convenient height (at about 1 m for larger extinguishers, 1.5 m for smaller ones, to the level
of the handle).They should also be within the handling capabilities of staff or other relevant
persons, such as tenants, who may be called upon to use them. It may also be necessary to
indicate the location of extinguishers by suitable signs.
216. Extinguishers are red and may have a colour-coded area, sited above or within the
instructions and denoting the type of extinguisher. Older extinguishers which have been
manufactured with the body of the extinguisher painted entirely in a single colour remain
acceptable until they are no longer serviceable. Information on the selection and installation
of fire extinguishers is contained in BS 5306: Part 8.
Automatic Life Safety Sprinkler Systems
217. Automatic life safety sprinkler systems operate automatically on detection of an
outbreak of fire within the building to inhibit the spread of fire. Water is discharged from the
individual sprinkler head which has detected heat from the fire, other sprinkler heads remain