How to conduct a site-specific fire risk assessment

You are legally required to carry out and regularly review a fire risk assessment for your business. This process involves five key steps: identifying hazards, identifying who is at risk, evaluating and acting on the risks, recording your findings, and regularly reviewing the assessment. For a campsite, this isn't just a box-ticking exercise; it's a vital tool to prevent fires and ensure you know exactly what to do if one breaks out.

Why is a Fire Risk Assessment so important for a campsite?

Campsites present a unique combination of fire risks. You have flammable materials like tents and dry grass, mixed with potential ignition sources from guest activities like BBQs, fire pits, and smoking. Add in gas canisters for cooking and the fact that guests are sleeping, and the potential for a serious incident becomes clear. A thorough assessment helps you manage these specific risks effectively.

The Five Steps to a Comprehensive Assessment

The law doesn't expect you to be a fire safety expert, but it does expect you to take responsibility for safety on your site. Following these five steps will help you create a robust assessment.

1. Identify the Fire Hazards

   Walk around your entire site and think about what could start a fire (ignition), what could burn (fuel), and what would help it spread (oxygen).

   • Sources of Ignition: Guest BBQs (especially disposable ones), fire pits, stray embers, carelessly discarded cigarettes, gas cooking equipment, electrical hook-up points, site machinery (e.g., mowers), and any electrical items in amenity blocks or glamping units.
   • Sources of Fuel: Tents, awnings, vehicles, gas canisters (LPG), petrol, dry grass, surrounding trees and hedges, stored wood for fire pits, and waste materials.
2. Identify People at Risk

   Who would be affected by a fire? On a campsite, this is primarily your guests, especially those sleeping in tents or pods. You must consider everyone, including children, the elderly, and anyone with disabilities or mobility issues who might find it harder to escape quickly. Don't forget to include yourself and any staff.

3. Evaluate, Reduce, and Protect

   This is the most important part. Now you've identified the hazards and who is at risk, you need to take action to make your site safer.

   Evaluate and Reduce the Risk

   • Unit Spacing: This is critical. Tents and caravans can go up in flames in minutes. Ensure there is adequate separation between units to prevent fire from spreading. A common guideline is the '6-metre rule', where units are at least 6 metres apart. Check the specific requirements of your site licence.
   • BBQ & Fire Pit Policy: Have clear, simple rules. Should BBQs be raised off the grass? Do you have a designated area for them? Provide a safe way to dispose of hot coals, like a metal ash bin.
   • Gas Canisters: Include rules on the safe use and storage of gas canisters in your site information.
   • Site Management: Keep grass cut short, especially around pitches and fire points. Manage waste effectively so it doesn't become a fuel source.

   Protect from Remaining Risk

   • Fire Points: These are your first line of defence. Install clearly signed fire points across the site. They should be easy to get to and typically include equipment like water, sand buckets, and appropriate fire extinguishers (e.g., water or foam for general use, CO2 for electrical fires).
   • Emergency Vehicle Access: Can a fire engine get onto and around your site easily? Keep access roads clear at all times. This is a non-negotiable requirement.
   • Warning System: How will you alert everyone if there's a fire? This could be a manually operated alarm like a rotary gong or bell, strategically placed to be heard across the site.
4. Record, Plan, and Train

   You must keep a written record of your fire risk assessment if you employ five or more people, but it's best practice for every business. This proves you've taken your responsibilities seriously.

   Your record should detail the hazards you found, the actions you've taken to reduce them, and your emergency plan.

   Your emergency plan should be simple and clear. It needs to cover how people will be warned, what they should do, where the assembly point is, and who is responsible for calling 999.

5. Review and Update Regularly

   A fire risk assessment is a living document, not a one-off task. You should review it at least once a year. You must also review it any time you make significant changes to the site, such as adding new glamping pods, changing the layout, or after a near-miss incident.

Top Tips for Your Assessment

• Don't start from scratch: Your local Fire and Rescue Service website often has guidance and templates you can use.
• Be practical: The best way to do the assessment is to physically walk the entire site. Look at it from the perspective of a guest arriving for the first time.
• Communicate clearly: Use the findings from your assessment to create the safety information and site rules you give to guests on arrival. Simple, clear instructions are essential.