Over the next few posts I’ll tell you the out come of the Fire Inspectors visit to audit our Fire Risk Assessment.

If your thinking of opening a guest house or are running one, I ¬†thought I’d let you know the out come of our audit as the Fire Inspector (Late fire Officer) called it.

I say if your running or thinking of running a guest house but there’s also one other category which this now covers and that’s Mrs Smith who may live down the road taking in local business men for one or two nights a week to supplement her income, hhhmm no! Where talking lodger, guest with breakfast, some people.

The new cloak covers, (the official quote)

“All guest accommodation properties, e.g. bed and breakfasts, guest houses, inns,

restaurants with rooms, and farmhouses;”

The quote is from the government document ‘Fire Safety Risk Assessment Sleeping Accommodation’

When asking the Fire Inspector if Mrs Smith needed a Fire Risk Assessment, he quoted the above quote.

“So even though she only has two rooms to for guests will she have to have a full fire alarm system installed?” I asked.

“No, but I would at lease expect fire doors off the main means of escape and linked smoked detectors”

So there you have it Mrs Smith as long as you have fire doors off your main means of escape, (usually your staircase and hall way) and a linked smoked detection system, which doesn’t mean a total rewire of your house it just means linking from room to room so if one go’s off in any part of the house it will set the lot off.

After saying that it also say’s at the start of the Fire Safety Risk Assessment Sleeping Accommodation Guide’ and I quote,

“It applies to premises where the main use is for sleeping accommodation.”

This statement stands alone in the introduction just after the first paragraph.

Is Mrs Smith within the law?

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I don’t like admitting it, I’m baring my sole here, I just don’t want anyone to make the same mistakes we did. When we bought the now Cornerstones Guest House it was as much as we could afford at the time, We had three children so that was Dorothy’s time spoken for and I had a small business to run in the day time any money we made was thrown down this big hole called refurbishment. So we needed to get it up and running as soon as possible.

We new we could trade as long as we had no more than six bed spaces above the first floor before we had to have a fire certificate. I served my time as a painter and decorator from leaving school at fourteen (yes fourteen, dad died their were five children, a real country and western song) to nineteen then I went on to be a bench joiner for three years, so I had a good bit of experience with regard to putting my hands to any diy projects, consequently we got suck in and had our first few rooms finished quite quickly. We put up a sign and low and behold people started knocking on the door, amazing! scary!

I cooked the first breakfast and wanted it to be so right I ended up cooking three times before the first couple came down.  We went on to achieve our six bed places and they were full most of the time, and I was full most of the time to.

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On the 26^th January a entered a post, http://www.cornerstonesguesthouse.com/blog/how-you-can-make-money-from-your-own-house/guest-standards-for-your-own-house/
saying.

“If you’re just having one or two guests don’t be put off when I mention Planning, Building Regs and Fire Officers this will not apply to you if you’re making any alterations”.

That was before I had a visit from my now local Fire Inspector (not Fire Officer).
While the fire inspector was looking over the building I was asking as many questions as I could soaking up as much information as possible so I could post it on the Cornerstones site, it’s only now after going back reading my first posts that I must correct the comment I made with regard to the old law.

The statement I made was quite true under the old Fire Certificate Law’s, any one having a couple of paying guests for a few nights a week did not have to have a Fire Certificate.

It’s now Official

I ask the Fire Inspector, what was the law under the new Fire Risk Assessments with regard to Mrs Smith down the road who takes in a paying guest for one or two nights a week, will she have to have a Fire Risk Assessment.

“Yes, anyone who as a paying guest sleeping over night must have a Fire Risk Assessment”

“Will she have to have a full alarm system and fire extinguishers” I asked.

“No, but at least I would expect fire doors off the landing and connecting smoke alarms” ¬†

So that’s official if you have a paying guest that sleeps over night,

• a) You have to have a Fire Risk Assessment.
• b) You will need fire doors off your main means of escape. i.e.
• landings and¬†hallway doors.

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Sorry I was side tract for a few days.

If your mate’s a builder, with a few good recommendations to his name and knows what he’s doing, tell him what you want, and let him get on with it, although I would still recommended you engage an architect if the work is substantial. The building Reg’s Officer will have to be involved in most cases to make sure the work is being done correctly a plus for you and if the builders any good it won’t bother him, step back if it dose.

An even less expensive way (and you need to be a good DIY man here) is you go into an intended bed room, you find out where the nearest soil stack is in relation to the room, if it’s in the left hand corner that’s where the loo is located and you build your en-suite in that corner, in other words the DIY man, O! Please forgive me, the DIY person in the partnership runs the job bringing in plumbers, electricians, joiners and decorators when and where they need them, again even though your running the job you can request the building officer to call in and have a look round periodically.

There are a few big issues I need to address at this point that will save you some heart ache down the road.

Step back and think of what could be

Let’s say you go for the one room at a time option. Before you get started just step back and think of what you want to achieve and what could be achieved with the property you’ve got. Take off the blinkers, the reason you would use the one room approach is because you don’t want to borrow a large amount of money from the bank and create lage fixed costs.
That’s all well and good but make sure you spend enough at the beginning.

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The one man who ties these two people together is the building regulations officer. He makes sure that the builder carries out the work properly and abides by all the rules and regulations.

So I’m not going to get into the world of fire or building regulations because I’m not qualified to do so.

What I am experienced in is producing a Fire Risk Assessment because I’ve just been through the process with my local Fire Officer, who was very helpful in steering me down the right path.

In 2006 the new fire regulations came into power, from having a fire certificate issued by the city fire brigade to having a F.R.A (Fire Risk Assessment) crated by me being the person that has some level of control in the premises and diverting responsibility for the up keep of fire protection in the building from the fire officer to the owner or for the official quote,

“A Fire Risk Assessment must be carried out by the owner of the building or by any person that has some level of control in the premises, taking reasonable steps to reduce the risk from fire and make sure people can safely escape if there is a fire”.

To receive a free copy of the Fire Risk Assessment Procedure I used just click the link.

More Fire Risk Assessment Information

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I’ve got to tell this story, defiantly a first.

Date 03.06.09.  Place Cornerstones bed and breakfast manchester. The names of the people have been change to protect the innocent.

This particular week we’re fully booked with a group of¬†people over¬†from America, they’ve taken the whole place except for one room which is booked out to a Ms Ann Lewis.

So it’s around 8pm and we get a telephone call from a very well spoken¬†lady,¬†Royal Berkshire, just to give you some idea of the tone.

“Hello I’m phoning on behalf of my sister who’s staying with you tonight, I’m afraid she’s been some what delayed on account of her dreadful aeroplane, but she will be with you around 10.30 to 11pm, is that ok?”.

The supper efficient business mind kicks in, right, yes, I know, it must be Ms Ann Lewis shes talking about.

“No problem thanks for letting us know, how ever if it’s going to be any later can you phone and let¬†me know”

“O yes, we certainly will”

Like a Murder  Mystery Weekend with out the Murder

About half an hour later I see this young lady, about mid twenties, walking past our office window towards the front door. Now who can this be, we’ve only got one room and it’s booked out. I opened the front door and she smiled and step in with the confidence of some one who knows there in the right place.

“Ann Lewis I have a room booked”

Ann Lewis, Ann, Lewis, the cogs stat moving, she can’t be Ann Lewis she’s delayed.

“Ok if you’d like to sign in”

What’s your problem, you have a room booked for Ms Ann Lewis this is Ms Ann Lewis, give her the key.

I asked what time she would like breakfast, 7.30, ok, and off she went to her room.

Now go and check the signing in book just to confirm it is Ms Ann Lewis, yep.

The woman who called must have got it wrong.

Tune in to the next post and meet Dorian Grey

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I mentioned the new Fire Risk Assessments in my last post about running a guest house, just a quickie on the subject of fire regulations, with planning for change of use it’s automatic that the Building Regulations Officer gets involved and consequently Fire Regulations so I will not be commenting on the ever changing regulations.

However I would advise anyone who may be doing there own alterations to get in touch with the Fire Officer and ask for up to-date advice on what you propose to do. It may save you a lot of money in the long run.

One more thing, there is always more than one way of doing things with regard to fire regulations.

So back to the drawing board.

Lets go forward spending the leased amount of money as possible.

The plans you submitted for planning consent would be to obtain outline planning permission for change of use and would consist of what the inside of the building looks like at the moment with no changes, but will show changes that will take place on the out side of the building for parking, if any, (remember you can park in the street or the next street if there are no parking restrictions), which will cost the lease amount of money from the architect’s point of view.

The next step is to ask the architect for detailed drawings of the changes you are about to make to the inside of the building, that’s when you will pay a little bit more than the first set of drawings and the more changes you make the more it will cost.

No matter which root you take to carry out the work you need drawings to work off for peace of mind if anything else.

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Comedy by the Globe Theatre will brighten up your day, it’s fast and hilarious.

Tuesday to Saturday at 7pm; Sunday 3pm.

The performance lasts about two an a half hours bring your own seats or a rubber mat for your bum that could double as a large umbrella, yes Manchester it may rain.

Tickets: adults £15, children £10.

www.shakespeares-globe.org www.heatonpark.org.uk

27 JUNE / MANCHESTER CITY CENTRE
ARMED FORCES DAY in Manchester:

Manchester takes this opportunity to say a big thank you to the brave people who serve in our Armed Forces to day, with representations by veterans of all ages
The first ever national Armed Forces Day will take place in Piccadilly Gardens from 12 noon-4pm with, music from the Greater Manchester Police Band,
Military taster sessions with Civilian Military Fitness,
Army Climbing Wall,
Football shoot out with the Royal Navy,
And also at Exchange Square 12 noon – 4pm
With The Band of the King’s Division,
Information about the Royal British Legion and Veteran organisations and information on all are armed forces.

Armed Forces personnel and veterans will receive special offers on production of the Veteran Badge or Armed Forces ID card.

For more information go to www.manchester.gov.uk/armedforcesday

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The Cornerstones Guest House have just had our F.R.A. (Fire Risk Assessment) reviewed by our local fire officer and I though I’d let people know what to expect, the procedure used to produce your own F.R.A., where I went wrong and how it was resolved.

With this in mind and because there’s so many site’s out there trying to get money out of people for F.R.A. Forms, Templates and Companies wanting to create your F.R.A. at ¬£300.00 to ¬£500.00 a throw.

I’ve put up a site where you can receive our Fire Risk Assessment Procedure, all the relevant fire notices, our staff training program and staff fire notices.

In 2006 the new fire regulations came into force, from having a fire certificate issued by the city fire brigade to having a F.R.A crated by:-

The official quote,

“Fire Risk Assessments must be carried out by the owner of the building or by any person that has some level of control in the premises, taking reasonable steps to reduce the risk from fire and make sure people can safely escape if there is a fire”.

Although every fire risk assessment is different the statement I’m about to make is one of the most important parts of any Fire Risk Assessment.

Have you trained your staff?

You said you have in your Fire Risk Assessment.

What is not made clear is what ever you put in your F.R.A must be correct and that any procedures you are suppose to carry out, are carried out.

If not, in the event of a fire you may not be insured if it’s proven any of your F.R.A. is not as you have stated.

At www.fire-riskassessments.co.uk I intend to take you through the process of creating a Fire Risk Assessment for The Cornerstones Guest House with the information I have received from my local Fire Officer and government web sites. Although this is just one type of building the procedure is the same for all types of premises but the out come is different in every case, confused you won’t be.

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You can bring in a builder get him to price for all the work you require doing, go to the bank with a business plan, and borrow x number of pounds, do all the rooms at once and be open within six months.

That way you will be left with a mortgage (if you have one) and a loan to pay off.

Most business ventures start of that way, as long as you’re business plan is a good one and not pie in the sky you should be ok.

The other way is to do one room and one floor at a time, making sure you do double rooms first to bring in the most income. Slow but you wont end up with a large loan to repay.

If you have plenty of money behind you then why not get the builders in.

Just make sure you can cover the mortgage and your borrowings from the bank form the number of rooms you ¬†create, or one of you will¬† have to keep working in a full time job until you’ve paid of the loan.

It should be all in your business plan.

You now need to look at Fire Regulations.

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Decorating Your Guest House