Pubs, hotels, restaurants, B&Bs, and cafes face a unique combination of risks. You're dealing with fire hazards from commercial kitchens, public assembly, gas appliances, water systems, food safety, and staff welfare - often all at once.
This guide covers the core safety requirements for hospitality businesses in England and Wales.
Fire safety
Fire safety is the biggest compliance area for hospitality. Your premises type determines the level of scrutiny.
Risk categories
| Premises Type | Risk Category | Scrutiny Level |
|---|---|---|
| Hotels, B&Bs, guest houses | Sleeping risk | Highest |
| Pubs, bars, nightclubs | Assembly / entertainment | High |
| Restaurants, cafes | Public assembly | Medium-High |
| Takeaways | Commercial kitchen | Medium |
Sleeping risk premises (hotels, B&Bs) face the highest level of fire authority scrutiny. A single compliance failure can result in prohibition notices, forced closure, and prosecution.
Fire risk assessment
Every hospitality premises needs a fire risk assessment. This isn't optional.
What it must cover:
- Identify fire hazards (kitchen, electrical, smoking areas, storage)
- Identify people at risk (staff, guests, contractors, vulnerable persons)
- Evaluate, remove, or reduce risks
- Record findings and implement measures
- Plan for emergencies
- Review regularly
Who can do it:
| Premises | Who should assess |
|---|---|
| Small cafe, takeaway | Owner/manager may be competent with guidance |
| Restaurant, pub | Professional assessor recommended |
| Hotel, B&B | Professional assessor strongly recommended |
| Nightclub, large venue | Professional assessor essential |
Hotels and B&Bs - additional requirements
Sleeping accommodation triggers enhanced requirements:
Fire detection:
- Automatic fire detection throughout (typically LD2 or L2 system)
- Detection in all bedrooms, escape routes, and risk rooms
- Sounders audible in all bedrooms when doors closed
Means of escape:
- Protected escape routes
- Fire doors to bedrooms (FD30S - 30 minutes, self-closing, smoke sealed)
- Emergency lighting in corridors and stairways
- Clear signage throughout
Management:
- Written emergency plan
- Staff training (including night staff)
- Regular fire drills
- Daily checks of escape routes
- Weekly alarm tests
- Guest information in rooms
Hotel fire safety prosecution
Fire authority inspection found multiple failures: fire doors propped open, missing smoke detectors in bedrooms, no emergency lighting, and no staff training records.
Prohibition notice issued - hotel forced to close until remedial work completed. Owner prosecuted, fined £45,000 plus costs. Remedial works cost additional £30,000.
The total cost exceeded £75,000. Annual professional fire risk assessment and maintenance would have cost under £2,000 per year.
Commercial kitchens
Kitchens are the leading cause of fires in hospitality premises.
Key requirements:
- Fire suppression system for deep fat fryers (Ansul or similar)
- Clean extraction systems and ductwork (grease buildup is highly flammable)
- Fire blanket within reach of cooking areas
- Appropriate extinguishers (wet chemical for cooking oils)
- Clear procedure for chip pan fires
Extraction cleaning frequency:
| Kitchen Type | Cleaning Frequency |
|---|---|
| Heavy use (fish & chips, fried food) | Every 3 months |
| Medium use (general restaurant) | Every 6 months |
| Light use (cafe, light cooking) | Every 12 months |
Insurance policies typically require extraction cleaning at specified intervals. Check your policy - failure to comply could void your fire cover.
Gas safety
If you have gas appliances - cookers, ovens, boilers, water heaters - you need proper gas safety management.
Commercial kitchen gas
Annual requirements:
- Gas safety inspection by Gas Safe registered engineer
- All commercial gas appliances checked
- Interlocks tested (gas shuts off if extraction fails)
- Emergency shut-off valves accessible and labelled
- Pipework inspection
Gas interlock systems:
Modern commercial kitchens require gas interlock systems that automatically shut off gas supply if:
- Extraction system fails or is turned off
- CO levels rise above safe limits
- Fire suppression system activates
Gas interlocks are not optional for new installations. If your kitchen was fitted recently, this should be in place. Older kitchens may need retrofitting.
Boilers and water heaters
- Annual gas safety check (same as commercial appliances)
- Adequate ventilation for appliance type
- Flue inspection
- CO detector in plant rooms
Cost: Commercial gas safety inspection typically £150-400 depending on number of appliances.
Legionella
Legionella bacteria thrive in water systems between 20-45°C. Hotels, B&Bs, and any premises with showers, hot tubs, or spa facilities need active Legionella management.
Who's at risk?
| Premises | Risk Level | Key Concerns |
|---|---|---|
| Hotels with en-suite showers | High | Multiple shower heads, variable room occupancy |
| B&Bs | Medium-High | Showers in guest rooms |
| Spa / hot tub facilities | Very High | Aerosol generation, warm water |
| Pubs with accommodation | Medium-High | Less frequently used rooms |
| Restaurants (staff showers only) | Low-Medium | Single shower, regular use |
Requirements
Risk assessment:
- Written Legionella risk assessment
- Identify and assess all water systems
- Review when systems change or at least every 2 years
Ongoing management:
- Hot water stored at 60°C or above
- Hot water delivered at 50°C+ within one minute
- Cold water below 20°C
- Regular flushing of infrequently used outlets
- Showerhead and tap descaling/disinfection
- Temperature monitoring records
Specific to hotels/B&Bs:
- Flush systems in unoccupied rooms weekly
- Record which rooms are unoccupied
- Consider point-of-use temperature control
Hot tubs and spa pools:
- Much more stringent requirements
- Daily testing
- Detailed management procedures
- Consider specialist contractor
Legionella outbreaks linked to hotels have resulted in deaths, prosecutions, and business closure. This isn't a paperwork exercise - it's life and death.
Food safety
If you prepare or serve food, you need food safety management systems in place.
Food hygiene ratings
Local authorities inspect food premises and issue ratings from 0 (urgent improvement necessary) to 5 (very good).
Rating display:
- England: Display is voluntary but increasingly expected by customers
- Wales: Mandatory display at premises
- Northern Ireland: Mandatory display
HACCP requirements
All food businesses need food safety management based on HACCP principles (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points).
For most small hospitality businesses, this means:
- Safer Food Better Business (SFBB) pack or equivalent
- Daily records (fridge temperatures, cleaning, deliveries)
- Staff training records
- Supplier records and traceability
Key control points
| Hazard | Control Measure |
|---|---|
| Contaminated deliveries | Check temperatures on arrival, reject if out of spec |
| Cross-contamination | Separate raw/cooked, colour-coded equipment |
| Bacterial growth | Correct storage temperatures (fridge below 8°C, freezer below -18°C) |
| Inadequate cooking | Core temperature 75°C for 30 seconds (or equivalent) |
| Contaminated surfaces | Cleaning schedules, sanitiser use |
| Staff hygiene | Handwashing, illness reporting policy |
Allergen management
Since 2021 (Natasha's Law), food prepared on premises must have full ingredient and allergen labelling.
Requirements:
- Written allergen information for all dishes
- Staff trained to handle allergen enquiries
- Procedures to prevent cross-contamination
- 14 major allergens must be identified
Employer duties
If you employ anyone, standard employer health and safety duties apply.
Risk assessment
You must assess risks to staff and others affected by your business. For hospitality, key risks include:
Physical risks:
- Slips and falls (wet floors, spillages, uneven surfaces)
- Burns and scalds (kitchens, hot drinks)
- Cuts (knives, broken glass)
- Manual handling (deliveries, barrels, furniture)
Psychosocial risks:
- Violence and aggression (particularly pubs/bars)
- Stress and fatigue (long hours, shift work)
- Lone working (early/late shifts)
Staff training
| Training | Who | When |
|---|---|---|
| Fire safety | All staff | Induction + annual refresh |
| Food hygiene (Level 2) | Food handlers | Before handling food |
| Manual handling | Staff moving heavy items | Induction + as needed |
| First aid | Designated first aiders | Initial + 3-year refresh |
| Allergen awareness | Food service staff | Induction + updates |
Insurance requirements
- Employers' liability insurance: Required if you employ anyone (£10m minimum)
- Public liability: Not legally required but commercially essential
- Display EL certificate at premises or make available electronically
Licensing
Many hospitality activities require licences beyond health and safety compliance.
Premises licence
Required if you:
- Sell alcohol
- Provide late-night refreshment (hot food/drink 11pm-5am)
- Provide regulated entertainment
Includes conditions on:
- Fire safety
- Capacity limits
- Hours of operation
- CCTV requirements
- Door supervision
Your premises licence may include specific fire safety conditions. Breaching these is a licensing offence - separate from fire safety law - and can result in licence review or revocation.
Food business registration
All food businesses must register with the local authority at least 28 days before opening. This is free but mandatory.
Common compliance gaps
Based on enforcement trends in hospitality:
Fire safety gaps
- Fire doors propped open or self-closers removed
- Blocked or locked fire exits
- Missing or out-of-date fire risk assessment
- No staff training records
- Emergency lighting not tested
- Extraction systems not cleaned regularly
Food safety gaps
- Temperature records incomplete or missing
- SFBB (or equivalent) not kept up to date
- Allergen information not available
- Staff food hygiene certificates expired
- Cleaning schedules not followed or recorded
Gas safety gaps
- No annual inspection record
- Interlock systems not tested
- Emergency shut-off not labelled or obstructed
Legionella gaps
- No risk assessment
- No temperature monitoring
- Showers in unused rooms not flushed
- No maintenance records
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
There's no fixed legal interval, but you must review it regularly and whenever there are significant changes. For hospitality premises, annual review is good practice. Hotels and B&Bs should review more frequently due to higher risk. You must also review after any fire, near-miss, or if your fire authority identifies issues.
Legally yes, if you're competent. In practice, for anything beyond a simple cafe or takeaway, professional assessment is strongly recommended. Hotels and B&Bs should always use professionals due to the sleeping risk classification. The cost of a professional assessment (£200-500) is minor compared to enforcement action or, worse, a fire.
There's no single 'gas safety certificate' for commercial premises like there is for residential (CP12). However, you should have annual inspection and maintenance by a Gas Safe registered engineer, with records kept. Your insurance likely requires this, and environmental health officers may ask for evidence during inspections.
There's no minimum legal rating - the rating reflects what inspectors found. However, anything below 3 suggests significant issues that need addressing. A rating of 0 or 1 means urgent action is required, and you may face enforcement action. Customers increasingly expect 4 or 5.
Not necessarily testing, but you do need a risk assessment and management plan. For most B&Bs, a written assessment identifying the water system and risks, plus implementing controls (temperature management, flushing unused rooms, maintenance records) is sufficient. Testing is typically only needed if the risk assessment identifies specific concerns, or after any contamination incident.
It depends on use: heavy-use kitchens (fryers, grills) every 3 months; medium-use every 6 months; light-use annually. Your insurance policy may specify requirements - check your cover. Keep cleaning certificates as evidence. Grease-laden ductwork is a serious fire hazard.
It depends on severity. Minor issues result in advice and a follow-up visit. Significant issues may result in a written warning or improvement notice requiring action within a set time. Serious or imminent risks can result in emergency closure (Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Notice) until resolved. Prosecution is possible for persistent or serious failures.
Yes, these are separate legal requirements under different regulations. Your fire risk assessment covers fire hazards under the Fire Safety Order. Your HACCP/food safety system covers food hazards under food safety law. Your general risk assessment covers workplace hazards under health and safety law. They can cross-reference each other but shouldn't be combined into one document.
Yes. Your premises licence can be reviewed if the licensing objectives are undermined - including public safety. Fire safety failures, overcrowding, or blocked exits can trigger a review by the licensing authority, potentially resulting in additional conditions, suspension, or revocation. The fire authority, police, and environmental health can all request reviews.
At minimum: fire risk assessment, fire drill records, alarm/emergency lighting test records, staff fire training records, gas safety inspection records, Legionella risk assessment and temperature logs, SFBB or HACCP records, food temperature logs, cleaning schedules, staff food hygiene certificates, employers' liability certificate, accident book. Keep records for at least 3 years.
Getting help
Hospitality compliance involves multiple overlapping requirements. Most operators manage the basics themselves but benefit from professional input for:
- Fire risk assessment - Especially hotels, B&Bs, and larger venues
- Legionella risk assessment - Particularly premises with complex water systems or spas
- Gas safety and interlock systems - Specialist kitchen gas engineers
- Multi-site operations - Systematic compliance management across venues
Not sure if your premises is compliant? A specialist can review your fire safety, food safety, and Legionella arrangements and identify any gaps before the inspectors do.
Related content
Topics:
- Fire Safety - Fire risk assessment and compliance
- Gas Safety - Gas appliances and CO safety
- Legionella - Water safety and Legionella control
Articles:
Related sectors:
- Food & Catering - Detailed food safety guidance
- Leisure - Nightclubs, events, entertainment venues
- Landlords - Guest house and B&B compliance
Tools:
- Responsibility Checker - Find out what applies to you
External resources:
- Fire Safety Risk Assessment: Small and Medium Places of Assembly
- Food Standards Agency
- HSE Legionella guidance
*This guidance covers key health and safety requirements for UK hospitality businesses. It is not exhaustive and does not constitute legal advice.