More on B&Bs Under Fire
This is going to run and run: Fire Regs and the world of B&B. I hope it is more helpful than tedious.
The latest story is of a B&B in Suffolk that has now had four visits from the Fire Officer, each one costing hundreds of pounds in alterations, such as re-hanging a door or blocking up an entrance.
Meanwhile, the B&B in the South West that kicked this story off is now threatened with closure unless it installs £000s of computer-based kit - during the height of the season. She may have to close.
It is entirely possible that Fire Officers all over the UK are out of control and the whole system needs to be revised. (Many of them, upon retirement, set up installation services, strangely enough, and become Fire consultants.) They are almost certainly being 'disproportionate' in their application of regulations to small B&Bs. I have heard of one who forced a B&B to close on the spot - at huge cost in lost business - in order to fit a couple of fire doors.
Any further thoughts out there? What would you do in my position? Of, more to the point, what would you do if you were a B&B owner threatened with closure after you ahve done a respectable Fire Risk Assessment and consider your house to be utterly safe?
posted by Alastair @ 3:30 pm
4 comments
4 Comments:
How and why are fire officers empowered to close businesses ' on the spot'? This is enforcement gone mad! No other area of regulatory enforcement is conducted this way. It is usual to give time for discussion and action. Unless the business in question was in serious danger of bursting into flames, defective wiring? Indoor barbeques? Surely they sould be given time and a second opinion?
This is nanny state gone mad - but what recourse do we have?
Surely the biggest recourse we have is each other. If enough B&B-ers are prepared to stick together, raise awareness in the public domain (newspapers, radio etc) and at ministerial level and not allow the fire department to overreact when they visit our premises. The regulations are clearly not meant to be enforced in such a draconian fashion as they are in places. Publicity and even possibly legal action for those brave enough to undertake it would highlight those who are really suffering appalling injustices. B&Bs are so fondly regarded by the public I think the groundswell of opinion would help to clarify the law. In our favour!
If you are an accommodation provider have a look at www.uk-apas.org.uk and join up. Fire regulations are a hot topic and as a B&B owner concern me.
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