SPRINKLERS IN HOTELS: A CRITICAL CONVERSATION FOR FIRE SAFETY
Fire safety in hotels has garnered increased attention following a series of high-profile incidents. The year started with the tragic hotel fire in Turkey in which 78 people tragically lost their lives. It was global news. Closer to home many will remember the tragic fire at the Cameron House Hotel near Loch Lomond in 2017. This devastating blaze, which claimed the lives of two individuals, raised questions on the susceptibility to fire of hotels in older, historic buildings. As a result, the Scottish Government held a consultation to gather views on whether hotels should be required to have sprinklers installed, a significant step toward improving safety standards in the hotel sector.
One does not have to go far to pick up on hotel fire incidents. A hotel in London made global news with a fire at the Chiltern Firehouse in early February, where a blaze spread from the restaurant’s pizza oven and travelled through internal vents to the roof. The fire caused extensive damage throughout the four-storey building and the evacuation of 100 guests and staff. Thankfully the event happened during the day and there were no injuries, but this intense and destructive fire took over five hours to bring under control and required 63 fire engines, 23 special appliances and 125 firefighters from across London. The fashionable London hotel will be closed for the foreseeable future and has highlighted the need to carefully evaluate fire safety measures in hotels, particularly those housed in historic buildings converted for hotel use.
Cameron House fire
A turning point for hotel fire safety in Scotland, the Cameron House fire prompted calls for better protection for hotel guests, especially those staying in historic properties. The Fatal Accident Inquiry (FAI) following the fire recommended that the Scottish Government consider mandatory fire suppression systems, such as sprinklers, in future hotel conversions, particularly those involving historic buildings.
This recommendation gained further weight following the tragic fire at the New County Hotel in Perth which claimed three lives in 2023. The investigation into this fire is still ongoing and we await the findings. In all three incidents, sprinklers could have played a critical role in containing the fire and minimising damage, allowing more time for guests and staff to evacuate safely.
Cost-benefit analysis
To assess the feasibility of this potential regulatory change, the Scottish government has also conducted a cost-benefit analysis. The goal is to quantify the monetary value of the costs and benefits associated with installing sprinklers in hotels, particularly when traditional buildings are converted to hotels. The analysis considers both the immediate costs of installation and the long-term benefits, including reduced risk to human life, minimised property damage, and continuity. Many reading the cost benefit analysis will be surprised to see the value of a human life and injuries reduced to monetary value of a few million pounds. Then the question is asked whether the investment is worth it over a 60-year time period. However, this is how decisions are supported by government and it means we need to look at them carefully and challenge them when they are misguided by underestimating impacts, overestimating costs or indeed failing to measure the community impacts of such tragic events.
A call for sprinklers in hotels
Fires in hotels are still occurring on a regular basis with statistics revealing that there were on average over 400 fires per year at hotels across Great Britain in the last five years1. When you consider that the number of hotels across Great Britain is placed at 9,500, a fire every day across that population is worth noting. Clearly, the risk is ongoing and cannot be ignored. Despite recent regulatory changes related to buildings where people sleep, many people are surprised sprinklers are not the norm in hotels. In fact, finding a hotel with sprinklers is not always easy, as this crucial safety information is rarely included in the typical hotel search engine.
Fire strategies for hotels can be very challenging because they house large numbers of people, often at night when they are sleeping and less likely to be alert to potential dangers. Whilst hotels are required to comply with fire safety regulations, sprinklers are not always mandated, especially in lower-rise buildings. As the recent fires have demonstrated, this can be a dangerous oversight. Remote locations can exacerbate the problem even further, with the fire services not readily available. The fire that killed 78 people at a Turkish ski resort in January was 40 minutes from the nearest fire service, located on the side of a mountain and had questionable safety features. Had the building been equipped with sprinklers, required by local regulations, the outcome would likely have been very different.
The benefits of sprinklers are undeniable. They can keep a fire contained to a limited area, significantly reducing the time it takes for fire services to respond and minimise the overall damage. When you consider all the elements that can contribute to a fire in a hotel, from cooking equipment and electrical systems to laundry services, sprinklers are a proven, underused tool offering the best all round protection.
With the Scottish Government now taking steps to assess the necessity of sprinklers in hotels, we must all advocate for a future where fire suppression systems are the standard in protecting hotel guests. After all, our comfort and safety during a hotel stay should never be taken for granted.