The kitchen: ignition risk concentrated.
- Extract systems: grease-laden ductwork is the classic fire-spread route through a hospitality building. Assessors check cleaning to TR19 Grease specification, with frequency scaled to cooking hours (heavy use: quarterly) and certificates on file — insurers treat missing TR19 records as a declinature-grade issue.
- Suppression and equipment: deep fat fryers demand wet chemical (Class F) provision — see extinguisher requirements — plus fire blankets; fixed suppression (e.g. Ansul-type) where the risk justifies it.
- Fuel shut-off: accessible gas emergency isolation, interlocks with extract where fitted, and staff trained to use them.
- Solid fuel: pizza ovens, charcoal grills and smokers add ember and flue risks with their own cleaning regimes.
The public, and the floor above.
Escape for people who don't know the building
Occupancy capacity against exit widths, clearly signed alternative exits, emergency lighting for evening trade, unobstructed final exits (not blocked by deliveries or bins), and staff trained to direct an evacuation — customers follow staff, so the procedure lives or dies on training. Alcohol slows response; the alarm must be unmistakable over music and noise, which is a BS 5839-1 design question the assessment verifies.
Staff or tenant accommodation above
The flat above the pub is where hospitality fires kill. The assessment treats it as sleeping risk: protected escape route separated from the commercial unit, interlinked detection covering the risk rooms and escape, and — critically — separation between kitchen/bar and the stair. Where the accommodation is let separately, two responsible persons must cooperate, and the premises may also engage HMO licensing where staff share.
| Zone | Assessment priority | Common failure |
|---|---|---|
| Kitchen | Ignition control, suppression, TR19 records | No duct cleaning evidence; wrong extinguisher types |
| Front of house | Capacity vs exits, signage, staff response | Locked or obstructed secondary exits |
| Cellar/stores | Housekeeping, electrical, CO₂ systems awareness | Combustible storage against boards and heaters |
| Accommodation above | Protected escape, interlinked detection | Escape through the commercial kitchen; no detection link |
Licensing interface
The Licensing Act 2003 regime expects public safety to be evidenced; licensing committees and responsible authorities can and do request the fire risk assessment, and conditions on capacity frequently originate from it. A current assessment is the document that holds the declared capacity together.