Fire safety in huts

As some of you may be aware, we recently commissioned fire safety risk assessments on all our buildings. The results of these risk assessments, which were carried out by a fire safety engineering company, based in Lancaster, and who had no prior involvement with the club, are quite alarming (no pun intended), and all our buildings have been classified as ‘high risk’.  This high risk classification is predominantly due to the buildings being used as sleeping accommodation, often by relatively large numbers of people, some of whom may not be familiar with the layout of the buildings; there is little we can do to change this, and we are clearly not going to ban sleeping in huts! Matters are not made better by the age and construction of the buildings, few of which were originally designed for their current use; of particular concern is the lack of ‘compartmentation’ which would delay the spread of smoke and flames, thereby protecting the escape routes long enough to evacuate the buildings.

We are currently developing plans to address the compartmentation problem, and it is likely that the solution will involve painting some walls and ceilings with fire resisting paints, and repairs to a number of fire doors. Quite a lot of work will be required, and we currently plan to start with Birkness cottage and coach house, since these buildings represent the greatest risk due to their high occupancy and two storey construction.  It is likely that we will have to employ contractors for much of this work, particularly where repairs to, or replacement of, fire doors is involved; this will not be cheap, and we would be particularly interested to hear from any members who are skilled joiners, with a working knowledge of BS 8214 (installation and maintenance of timber fire doors), who could offer assistance.

Now improving a building’s resistance to the spread of fire is all very well, but our primary focus must be on preventing a fire occurring in the first place, and providing timely warning to occupants should that happen. Fortunately, all our buildings already have fire alarm systems which are regularly maintained thanks to our hut wardens, and we endeavour to maintain the electrical and gas systems in a safe working order to minimise the likelihood of these causing a fire. There is, however, much that can be done by members and guests staying in huts, to further minimise the fire risk; this extract from our fire safety policy summarises the main points:

• Smoking is not permitted within, or in the immediate vicinity of club buildings.
• The burning of candles within club buildings and within vehicles or tents on club premises is prohibited.
• Fire guards must be in place whenever open fires are left unattended.
• The use of portable electric fan heaters in FRCC buildings is prohibited.
• The use of personal electrical device chargers is discouraged; charging facilities are provided in each hut.
• Charging of e-cycle, and similar large lithium-based, batteries within, or in the immediate vicinity of FRCC buildings is prohibited.
• The charging of electric vehicles from FRCC building electrical supplies is prohibited.
• The importance of general fire safety and good housekeeping, including the importance of keeping fire doors closed and escape routes clear

Most of these points are already established practice in our huts. The ban on portable electric fan heaters is, however, new, and results from this type of heater posing a particularly high risk; please respect this and refrain from taking fan heaters to huts and cottages. Any heaters, of this type, previously in huts or cottages have been removed.

As mentioned above, we are likely to have to spend a considerable sum on repairs to fire doors, and this will be of little value if those doors are left wedged or propped open; please bear this in mind.

I know all this sounds very dull and authoritarian, but we must do our best to keep one another safe while staying in our huts.

Geoff Lyons