Many hotels fire risks

Press, 12 February 1979, Page 12

Many hotels fire risks

From KEN COATES in London New Zealanders travelling in Europe should take a close look at the hotels they book into. Inspectors for the Consumers’ Assocation in Britain report that some hotels in popular package-tour holiday resorts are potential death traps. The association, reporting in its magazine, “Which?” says its representatives

ted 171 hotels in 13 coun- ' tries, including 16 in Britain and others in France, < Greece, Italy, Spain, and Yu- : goslavia. They checked them for safety against the provisions i of Britain’s fire-precaution I laws. They found that more than half had “poor, fairly poor, or very poor" safety ratings. Only 32 hotels received a “good” rating, and 14 of these were in Britain. Britain has the best fire-pre- <

vention record in Europe because of its stern legislation designed to reduce risks, says the report. Even so, in 1976. seven persons died, and 48 were injured in 1693 hotel fires in Britain. Internationally, the association found six hotels with large public rooms with no alternative exits, 71 with; long “dead end” corridors, 42 with unacceptably small staircases not properly enclosed, and 30 with locked exits. i