Fire safety for pubs and restaurants: the checks that matter

Keep exits clear while you are open

• Fire exits should open easily from the inside without a key at all times when customers are in the building.
• Check that stools, queue barriers, bins, crates and deliveries are not blocking exits.
• Make sure exit signs are visible and not covered by decorations.

The kitchen

• Check the fire blanket and the right extinguisher for cooking oil and fat are in place and in date.
• Cooking equipment and fryers should be switched off and cleaned at close.
• Extraction hoods and filters should not have a build-up of grease. Ducting needs cleaning by a competent person on a schedule that suits how much you cook.
• Know where the gas isolation valve or electrical cut-off is, and make sure staff do too.

Cellar, bottle store and gas

• Keep routes through the cellar and bottle store clear, with stock off the floor near exits.
• Gas cylinders and pipework should be secure and valves accessible. Anything that smells of gas needs attention straight away.
• Keep glass, rubbish and packaging away from escape routes and heat sources.

Decorations, candles and events

Candles, festive lighting and decorations should be kept away from anything that burns easily. Stage lighting, speakers and event equipment should be placed so that cables do not run across exits. If you use effects such as smoke machines, check how they work with your fire alarm and have a plan.

Staff training and drills

Staff need to know what the alarm sounds like, where the exits are and what to do on discovering a fire. Run at least one drill a year and record how long it took, how many people left and any problems, as GOV.UK suggests. Include the bar, cellar, toilets, kitchen and any upstairs rooms, and note how long the last customers took to leave.

Keep the records

Write down your weekly checks, faults and repairs, service dates for the alarm, emergency lighting, extinguishers and gas, and training and drills. In a busy venue, written records are often the first thing an inspector or insurer will ask for.