Hospitality premises face cooking fires, high occupancy, and licensing requirements. We provide a practical fire safety guide for UK pubs, restaurants, and hotels.. Hospitality Fire Risk Profile The hospitality sector faces a unique combination of fire risks: Cooking operations — the leading cause of fire in hospitality High and variable occupancy — capacity changes throughout the day Alcohol consumption — affects occupant awareness and behaviour Late night operation — fatigue and reduced alertness Multiple cooking methods — deep fat frying, charcoal grilling, open flames Historic buildings — many pubs and restaurants occupy listed buildings Kitchen Fire Safety Extract Ductwork The most critical fire risk in any commercial kitchen: Grease accumulation in ductwork provides continuous fuel path Extract duct fires can spread from kitchen to roof and beyond Cleaning frequency based on usage: weekly (heavy) to quarterly (light) TR/19 compliance for ductwork cleanliness Internal inspection hatches required at changes of direction Cooking Equipment Automatic fire suppression over deep fat fryers (Ansul/wet chemical) Gas interlock systems — automatic gas shut off on ventilation failure Electrical isolation linked to suppression activation Equipment spacing and separation from combustible surfaces Fire Blankets and Extinguishers Wet chemical extinguisher (Class F) within 2m of cooking equipment Fire blanket adjacent to deep fat fryer CO₂ extinguisher for electrical fires Staff trained in safe use (and when NOT to fight a fire) Occupancy Management Capacity Calculation Standing areas: 0.3 0.5m² per person Bar/lounge seating: 1.0m² per person Restaurant dining: 1.0 1.5m² per person Dancefloor: 0.5m² per person Door Security Licensable activities require adequate means of escape Door security staff must know emergency procedures No locking of exits during occupied hours Capacity monitoring at peak times Licensing and Fire Safety Premises Licence The Licensing Act 2003 includes fire safety as a consideration: Fire service consulted as Responsible Authority Conditions may be attached to licence relating to fire safety Capacity limits may be imposed Operating schedule must address public safety Enforcement Both fire service and licensing authority can take action: Fire service: enforcement notices, prohibition notices under RRO Licensing authority: review of premises licence, additional conditions Police: closure powers for imminent risk Sleeping Accommodation Hotels and B&Bs above pubs have additional requirements: Enhanced fire detection (LD2 minimum, LD1 recommended) Protected escape routes from bedrooms Fire doors to all bedroom doors (FD30S self closing) Emergency lighting throughout escape routes Fire safety information in every bedroom Night porter or waking watch for larger premises For hospitality fire safety compliance, contact Magnus Opifex.