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Fire Regulations for Gites


Quillan
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Can anyone point me to a website that gives the official fire regulations for Gites like for example what fire extinguishers are required, where they should be mounted. Do you have to have emergency lighting for exits, must doors be auto closing and fire retardant. Must you have a fire blanket in the kitchen etc. Must all soft furnishings be suitable marked.

Some of the points above are what I would do anyway as a matter of common sense but I wanted to ensure I get them correct.

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I am not aware of an official list of safety regulations pertinent to gites, but I'd certainly be interested to find out if they do exist.

As an aside, most visitors (including French visitors) are pleasantly surprised when I point out the fire extinguisher, fire blanket, smoke alarms and what I call the emergency exit (the back door).

We don't have emergency lighting for exits, although we have night lights at the top and bottom of the stairs.

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I'm sure there are no official requirements and my insurance company doesn't require any, I think they are considered as private homes. I have smoke alarms and CO2 fire extinguishers, but they aren't correct for use for a kitchen fire so I don't know if I'll bother replacing them for next year, they were expensive and are out of date now.

Clair, where did you buy your fire blanket from?

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Quillan

If you want chapter and verse ask the Pompiers to come around and advise you, but beware you may get a shock.

I like you am trying to do the very best I can but some of the newer regulations I just cannot physically comply with like "escaliers quart, ou de quart de tournant" having to be 1200mm wide to allow stretcher patients to be evacuated. 

The one hour fire separation between dwellings and 1/2 hour between etages is no problem neither are extinguishers and a communal fire alarm system.

My advice is to do the best that you can (for your own conscience if nothing else) and then decide whether to invite the Pompiers for their comments.

When I get a chance I will find links to some of the resources that I found.

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Well I am amazed at the lack of legal requirements.

My neighbour recently had a fire in his Gite. It was caused by the use of a 'manual' paraffin heater being placed under a window and then the curtains being drawn. There were no fire extinguishers or smoke alarm. Fortunately the fire was put out quickly but not before substantial smoke damage was sustained.

I thought that the curtains should have been fire retardant and he should have had fire extinguishers in the place as well as a smoke alarm. This could have been quite nasty. He told me that it was not a requirement to have any form of fire protection etc and therefore didn't bother putting any in. I thought this could not possible be correct but it seems it may well be. I pointed out that the fire extinguisher and fire retardant curtains would have worked out cheaper in the long run than having to repaint the place but there you go.

Live and learn I suppose.

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Hi Quillan

 

Are you suggesting that there is a difference between the laws applied to gites and to B&B?

 

If so, I think twas always thus. Holiday lets tend to lag behind hotels whatever country you are in.

John

 

 

p.s. We do have fire extinguisher but not a CO2 monitor.

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[quote user="Owens88"]

Hi Quillan

Are you suggesting that there is a difference between the laws applied to gites and to B&B?

If so, I think twas always thus. Holiday lets tend to lag behind hotels whatever country you are in.

John

p.s. We do have fire extinguisher but not a CO2 monitor.

[/quote]

I was thinking long and short term lets not that I know much about the French regulations regarding long term lets. I would have thought that things like boiler certification and testing, fire extinguishers etc would be mandatory.

We have a couple of fire extinguishers and smoke detectors in all the bedrooms, hall and lounge (have to admit I took the kitchen one out as it kept going off and was most annoying but we have fire blanket) and we don't have a boiler.

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