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Fire safety in hotels
A Council Recommendation defines minimum safety standards in hotels and serves as a basis for common safety rules throughout the EU.
Council Recommendation - scope
On 22 December 1986 the Council adopted a Recommendation on fire safety
in hotels  . Its purpose was to define minimum safety standards for all hotels in the Community. People staying in
hotels in other EU countries are entitled to adequate protection and to be informed of the extent of that protection.
Where existing laws had not been sufficient, Member States were strongly advised to take all appropriate measures to guarantee the
safety standards set out in the Recommendation. This could be done by implementing the appropriate technical guidelines set out in the annex to the
Recommendation.
In existing hotels, the main objectives are to:
- reduce the risk of fire breaking out,
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- prevent the spread of flames and smoke,
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- ensure that the occupants can be evacuated safely and
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- enable the emergency services to take action.
The Recommendation spells out the requirements for meeting these objectives:
- escape routes available and accessible,
- building structurally stable,
- the use of non-flammable materials,
- the safe operation of technical equipment and appliances,
- existence of alarms, safety instructions and plans of the premises,
- availability of emergency fire-fighting equipment,
- staff training.
The Recommendation also specifies that compliance with the minimum recommended safety
standards is essential for continued operation and that hotels must be subject to regular inspection.
Commission report on the application of the Recommendation
In 2001, the Commission presented a report
(+/-50KB)
on the application of the Recommendation.
It evaluates the impact the Recommendation has had on measures taken by Member States to upgrade the safety standards
in hotels, and the further activities they have planned in this field.
The report presents the broad lines of further EU initiatives and activity on the issue, and in particular the need to:
- make more precise provision for alternative solutions where the recommended technical guidelines in the
Recommendation cannot be implemented;
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- improve supervision and monitoring;
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- update and improve technical guidelines for future activities;
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- identify and disseminate best practices in fire safety management and monitoring.
Consultation on the Commission Report on Fire Safety in Hotels and revision of technical guidelines attached to the Recommendation
A working group of national technical experts on fire safety in hotels, coordinated by an
external facilitator, was set up to assess the need to update the technical guidelines for
Recommendation 86/666/EEC. The conclusions are presented in
Section 19 of the Report.
Based on these conclusions, the Commission held consultations with all interested parties. Other activities envisaged in the Commission
report will gradually be implemented, and the Commission will provide information about their development in due course.
Services - Fire safety in hotels - Recommendation 86/666/EEC
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