Sector

Health & Safety for pubs, restaurants & hotels

Busy kitchens, late nights and guests who don't know your building. We help hospitality businesses stay safe and compliant without losing the atmosphere that brings customers back.

The risks we see most

  • Fire safety, especially where guests sleep on the premises, in busy kitchens, and in older buildings with complex layouts
  • Slips, trips and falls in kitchens, cellars, stairs and outdoor areas
  • Burns, scalds and cuts in food preparation
  • Hazardous substances (COSHH): cleaning chemicals, beer line cleaner and gas cylinders
  • Manual handling: kegs, deliveries and furniture
  • Young and seasonal workers, who need extra induction and supervision
  • Violence, aggression and lone working, particularly at closing time
  • Legionella in guest showers and little-used rooms

The rules that apply

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires a fire risk assessment for your premises, and the risk is higher where people sleep on site, as in hotels, B&Bs and pubs with rooms. Workplace health and safety in hospitality is usually enforced by your local council's environmental health team. If you hold a premises licence, public safety is also one of the four licensing objectives under the Licensing Act 2003.

New openings, fit-outs and historic buildings

Getting fire safety right from the start of a fit-out is far easier than fixing it after opening. Our clients include a brand-new bar fitted out from an empty unit and a historic pub brought back into use, where the aim was to improve fire safety while keeping the character of the building.

How we help

Client feedback

What our clients say

The assessment was thorough and professional… Stuart took the time to explain their findings clearly and identify any areas that required attention, without making the process unnecessarily complicated.

Read the full review

We recently had a fire safety risk assessment carried out at our existing bed and breakfast, bar and restaurant premises, and we were extremely pleased with the service we received.

The assessment was thorough and professional, taking into account the different areas of the business, including the guest bedrooms, bar, restaurant, kitchen and other staff and customer areas. Stuart took the time to explain their findings clearly and identify any areas that required attention, without making the process unnecessarily complicated.

We particularly appreciated the practical advice and recommendations, which were focused on keeping our guests, customers and staff safe while working within the realities of an existing hospitality business.

The whole process was straightforward, professional and reassuring, and we now have a much clearer understanding of our fire safety responsibilities and the measures we need to maintain. We would have no hesitation in recommending their fire safety risk assessment service to other bed and breakfast, hotel, pub or restaurant owners.

Coach HouseBed & breakfast, bar and restaurantFire risk assessment

Stuart took the time to understand our plans for the property and provided practical, clear advice on how we could improve fire safety while retaining the character and charm that makes this pub so special.

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Bringing this historic pub back to life for a new business venture was an exciting project, but it also came with the responsibility of ensuring the building was safe and compliant for its new chapter.

The fire risk assessment was carried out thoroughly and professionally, taking into consideration the age and character of the building, its existing layout and features, and the changes required to transform it into a vibrant new hospitality venue.

Stuart took the time to understand our plans for the property and provided practical, clear advice on how we could improve fire safety while retaining the character and charm that makes this pub so special.

Their knowledge and approach gave us real confidence that we were creating a safe environment for our customers, staff and the future of the business.

It was reassuring to have professional fire safety advice from the early stages of bringing this much-loved historic building back into use. We would happily recommend their services to anyone undertaking the renovation or reopening of an existing pub, restaurant or other historic premises.

Duck & DaggerHistoric pub, brought back into useFire risk assessment

What really stood out was the practical and straightforward approach. The recommendations were clearly explained, with sensible advice on how to ensure the premises was safe for our customers and staff.

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We recently had a fire risk assessment carried out on our brand-new unit as we transformed the space into a modern charcuterie, wine and cocktail bar.

As this was a completely new premises and a new business venture, getting the fire safety arrangements right from the outset was extremely important to us. The assessment was thorough and professional, taking into account the layout, customer areas, bar facilities, kitchen/preparation areas, escape routes and the way the premises would operate once open.

What really stood out was the practical and straightforward approach. The recommendations were clearly explained, with sensible advice on how to ensure the premises was safe for our customers and staff while allowing us to create the modern, welcoming atmosphere we had envisioned.

Having the fire risk assessment completed as part of the fit-out process gave us real peace of mind and confidence as we worked towards opening our doors.

We would highly recommend their services to anyone opening a new hospitality venue, particularly where fire safety needs to be carefully considered alongside the design and operation of a modern bar or restaurant.

PopinaNew charcuterie, wine and cocktail barFire risk assessment

FAQs

Hospitality questions

Do I need a new fire risk assessment if I've taken over an existing pub?

Yes. As the new responsible person you need a suitable and sufficient assessment that reflects how you'll run the premises. A previous operator's assessment may not reflect your layout, opening hours, staffing or plans.

When should fire safety be considered during a fit-out?

As early as possible. Escape routes, detection, emergency lighting and fire separation are much easier and cheaper to get right at the design stage than after opening.

Who enforces health and safety in pubs and restaurants?

Generally your local council's environmental health team for workplace health and safety, and the local fire and rescue service for fire safety.

Health & Safety that's easy to work with.

Tell us about your business and we'll be in touch with clear, practical next steps.