Fire Safety Update (2025)

Fire Safety Update (2025)

20 June 2024

Following the Home Office’s publication of “A guide to making your small paying-guest-accommodation safe from fire,” the NCC’s Holiday Caravan and Park Home Manufacturers’ Section Committees have reviewed the new guidance to ensure the caravan sectors remain proactive in fire safety.

Because it is not always possible to know at the point of manufacture how a unit will be used throughout its lifespan, the NCC has established a new baseline specification. This ensures that all units are built to a high standard of safety, regardless of whether they are used for private use or as paying-guest accommodation.

New Standard Specifications (From 1 September 2024)

For the 2025 model year onwards, all EN1647 and BS3632 units will include the following as standard:

  • Enhanced Smoke Detection: In addition to the existing Grade D1 smoke alarms in living areas and hallways, all bedrooms will now be fitted with interlinked, hard-wired Grade D1 smoke alarms.
  • Escape Window Identification: All designated escape windows will be clearly labelled to ensure guests can quickly identify emergency exit routes.

Additional Requirements for Rental Units

While the manufacturing standards above cover the structural and fixed elements of the unit, the Home Office guidance specifies additional items for units used for hire (by either park operators or individual owners).

As these items are easily replaceable or added post-manufacture, they are the responsibility of the operator/owner to maintain:

  1. Fire Blankets: Must comply with BS EN 1869:2019.
  2. Fire Extinguishers: A minimum of a 1kg dry powder extinguisher complying with BS EN 3-7:2004+A1:2007.
  3. Crib 5 Mattresses: All mattresses must comply with Crib 5 standards as defined in the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire Safety) Regulations.

Responsibility for Compliance

While manufacturers are incorporating these critical safety features at the factory level to assist in future-proofing units, ultimate responsibility for fire safety compliance lies with the individual or company letting out the accommodation.

We recommend that all owners and operators review the full Home Office guide to ensure their specific fire risk assessments are up to date.