The British Hospitality Association (BHA) would like to remind its members that the changes to fire safety legislation are less than one month away.

The Fire Safety Regulative Reform Order comes into force on 1 October 2006 and from this date all hoteliers will be responsible for carrying out their own fire risk assessments as the process of inspections to issue fire certificates will cease.

The new law will instead emphasise fire prevention and risk reduction, with the onus for fire risk assessment and personnel protection placed on a ‘responsible person’ for each establishment

The BHA has developed a fire risk assessment toolkit for hospitality operators to aid compliance with the changes and to clarify the guides issued by the Department of Communities and Local Government.

At the forthcoming regional members’ days, the BHA will be launching its newly-developed computer-based Fire Risk Assessment toolkits with a series of demonstrations by John Dyson, food and technical affairs consultant at the BHA.

The first demonstration will be held at the East Midlands members’ day at Hart’s Hotel, Nottingham on Monday 18 September, with subsequent demonstrations to be held at Matfen Hall in Newcastle on Wednesday 20 September, and at Saunton Sands Hotel in Devon on Wednesday 11 October.

The toolkits will be available online through the members’ area of the BHA website from Monday 18 September 2006.

Further details on the Fire Risk Assessment toolkits are available on the BHA Community website at www.bhacommunity.org.uk

To register your interest in the new fire risk assessment toolkits, or if you have any queries surrounding this issue, please email [email protected]