Licensed Premises

Fire Safety in Nightclubs, Bars, and Pubs

Loud music, alcohol, pyrotechnics, and customers who are all unfamiliar with the layout of the premises can increase the risk of fire in your business. If you are the responsible person for a pub, club or similar licensed premises, under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, you have a legal responsibility to ensure reasonable measures are in place to protect your customers and staff from fire.

Here is some further information which will help you comply with fire safety laws and ensure your business is safe:

Common Causes of Fire in Pubs, Bars, and Clubs

This will be helpful to know whilst carrying out fire risk assessments, testing and maintenance processes, staff training, and any checks throughout the premises, so you can get a better understanding of what risks to look out for:

• Electrical faults often occur when portable items aren’t properly tested or maintained, or when electrical equipment is in poor condition. You can reduce the risk of a fire caused by an electrical fault by not using equipment with frayed or damaged wires, replacing these items straight away, and regularly PAT testing appliances.
• Placement of lighting – many fires have started due to lighting being placed too close to flammable materials.
• Smoking – smoking materials being disposed of carelessly, or smoking allowed in inappropriate areas. Ensure you have adequate measures in place for people to properly extinguish cigarettes, and develop a smoking policy; if you have one, please make sure you enforce it.
• Arson – Storing stock or waste in a place easily accessible to the public increases your risk. Ensure bins are lockable, stored away from the premises or in a courtyard that cannot be accessed by the public. CCTV can also act as a deterrent.
• Naked flames – Candles, open fires, pyrotechnics, and other heat sources can cause fires if they’re too close to combustible materials such as artificial foliage or sound insulation materials.

Fire Risk Assessment

You must have a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment in place, completed by a competent person. It must be kept up to date and accurately reflect what is occurring within the premises, especially during busy nights and special occasions.

If there are any changes to the building, staffing levels, processes carried out onsite, capacity figures, near misses or actual incidents involving fire, you must review and update your fire risk assessment.

Pyrotechnics and ignition sources

Pyrotechnics such as sparklers, indoor fireworks, ice fountains, flame effects, and blow torches used on drinks can easily ignite nearby materials, especially combustibles and decorations.

When using these onsite, you must:

1. Ensure you have included the storage, use, and disposal of these in your fire risk assessment.
2. Keep them separate from combustible materials.
3. Ensure they are purchased from a reputable supplier, and the manufacturer’s instructions are followed at all times.
4. It is recommended to avoid staff or customer-handled pyrotechnics altogether.

However, we do not recommend the use of pyrotechnics inside any premises.

Decorations, wall linings, and ceiling features

Drapes and fabrics, foliage and floral displays, sound insulation materials, wall and ceiling linings, and seasonal decorations, which may be used for Christmas, Halloween, or sporting events, can all contribute to the spread of fire.

What we recommend:

• Only purchase from reputable suppliers and ensure fire-resistant or flame-retardant materials are used.
• Keep decorations away from ignition sources, heat, flames and pyrotechnics.
• Damaged and non-compliant materials must be removed immediately.
• Do not place these materials on escape routes, fire doors, or fire signage.
• Some materials may have a fire-resistant material that wears off over time, especially after washing. If so, you will need to reapply the treatment regularly.

Crowd Management and Escape Routes

Overcrowding and poorly maintained escape routes can drastically increase risk.

Fire exits and escape routes:

• Fire doors should never be locked when the premises are in use
• Escape routes should always remain clear and free of combustible items
• Fire doors and escape routes must be checked regularly, especially if you have residents living above the premises or neighbouring businesses
• As part of your fire risk assessment, you must consider people with disabilities and other vulnerable persons, and the means of escape for them in the event of an emergency.
• Both escape routes and fire doors must always be clearly visible, especially in low-light conditions
• Seasonal decorations, as well as foliage, floral displays, wall and ceiling linings and sound insulation materials should not be placed within escape routes or on or around fire doors.

Capacity Limits

Fire exits and escape routes are designed for a specific number of people; exceeding capacity limits can be fatal in an emergency.

• You should be aware of the occupancy figures for your premises. If you are unsure, please consult with a fire risk assessor, or you can work this out for yourself by using the following our occupancy calculations
• Do not exceed the maximum capacity set out in your Fire Risk Assessment and Premises License.

Fire Detection and Alarm Systems

Pubs, clubs, and bars are noisy environments; therefore, this could delay evacuation if alarms go unheard.

Best practice includes:

• Sound systems that automatically shut down when the fire alarm activates
• During live performances, when it may not be possible to shut the sound system down, clear procedures should be implemented to alert staff and customers when there is a need to evacuate
• Fire detection and alarm systems are being regularly tested and maintained
• Maintenance being carried out to recognised standards
• Staff receive full fire safety training and remain competent.

All staff, including door staff and temporary workers, must be trained in:

• Fire risks, including pyrotechnics
• How to raise the alarm in the event of an incident
• Evacuation procedures
• What actions need to be taken in an emergency and ‘shepherding’ customers calmly to exits
• Where the assembly point is, so they can direct people to the correct place of safety
• If flame effects are used, the close-down procedures need to be followed.

Testing and maintenance of fire protection equipment, as well as staff training and fire drills, can be logged in a Fire Safety Logbook template.

Emergency Action Plans

Every pub, club, and bar must have a clear emergency plan, which should include:

• How a fire will be detected
• How customers and staff will evacuate
• Staff responsibilities during an emergency
• Where the fire assembly point is
• Who will contact the fire service and liaise with fire crews when they arrive onsite.

These plans should then be understood by staff and rehearsed through fire drills. Learning points from fire drills can be used to develop staff training sessions and improve everyone’s knowledge and response. Emergency action plans should also be reviewed after any incidents.

Next steps

If you are responsible for managing licensed premises, we ask you to:

• Carry out an immediate review of your fire risk assessment
• Reassess or suspend the use of pyrotechnics until risks are controlled. Alternatively, do not use pyrotechnics indoors at all, if possible.
• Refresh staff fire safety training.

If you are unsure or would like any further advice and guidance, contact our Business Support Team on 0115 8388205 or fireprotection@notts-fire.gov.uk. Alternatively, you can request a FREE fire safety advice visit.

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Fire Safety Guidance

• Fire safety risk assessment: small and medium places of assembly (up to 300 people)
• Fire safety risk assessment: large places of assembly (over 300 people)