Fire safety in hotels, as in all public places, has become increasingly important over the years. As technology advances, so have the sources that can start a fire and endanger the lives of guests and the integrity of the accommodation facility. Regulations have evolved accordingly, providing guidelines that hotel owners and other types of tourism-accommodation businesses must follow to protect travelers from the risk of fires.
To protect the safety of people and property from fire risks, accommodation facilities must meet the required fire prevention safety requirements ; these requirements include the adoption of specific active and passive protection measures.
Specifically, the legislation specifies that accommodation facilities with more than 25 beds must be subject to inspections by the Fire Brigade. This is established by Presidential Decree 151/11 , number 66.
Fire protection in hotels: the legislation
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Anyone intending to open a hotel or other type of hospitality facility should keep in mind that there are essentially two relevant decrees regarding fire prevention.
The Ministerial Decree of 9 April 1994
The Ministerial Decree of 9 April 1994, as amended, establishes that new and existing businesses with 25 to 100 beds must have a 35 l/min, 1,5 bar hose reel system with a 60-minute autonomy and a single supply . For new tourist accommodation businesses with more than 100 beds , a 120 l/min, 2 bar hose reel system with a 60-minute autonomy and a single supply is required . For existing businesses with more than 100 beds and a height greater than 32 m, the option of installing hose reels is also provided. Finally, for new and existing businesses with more than 500 beds, this decree requires a 120 l/min, 2 bar hose reel system with a 60-minute autonomy, external protection and a dual supply. Fire Protection in Hotels
The Ministerial Decree of 14 July 2015
The Ministerial Decree of July 14, 2015, which concerns accommodation businesses existing from August 23, 2015, with a number of beds greater than 25 and up to 50. The decree introduces the possibility for small businesses to take advantage of various simplifications, such as the possibility of communication between any businesses not related to accommodation, the inclusion of a dry column for businesses above three floors above ground (within certain limits), and the definition of level 1 performance in reference to UNI 10779 with autonomy of 30 minutes (instead of the 60 minutes required by the Ministerial Decree of April 9, 1994 ). However, the following obligations are foreseen: up to three floors above ground, mandatory wheeled fire extinguishers on each floor; above the third floor above ground, 2 Bar hose reels at 35 l/min or 2 Bar fire hydrants at 120 l/min.
Fire protection in hotels: the Vertical Technical Rule
In addition to the two decrees mentioned above, another important regulatory reference is Vertical Technical Regulation V.5 "Tourism and Hotel Accommodation Activities," approved by a 2016 decree, later replaced by the Ministerial Decree of February 16, 2020. The RTV refers, of course, to hotels, but also to all organized facilities open to the public, with more than 25 beds. A special case concerns accommodation facilities organized in multiple separate and non-communicating buildings, which have fewer than 25 beds per building. To include this case within the regulatory framework regarding fire safety, the Technical Regulation has been expanded with paragraph V.5.5, which establishes specific guidelines for activities carried out in multiple buildings with fewer than 25 beds.
The Vertical Technical Rule classifies structures based on various parameters, including:
- number of beds,
- maximum height of the floors,
- characteristics of the premises,
The subsequent chapters of the standard address fire risk assessment and fire prevention strategies. Reading the standard reveals how the document references the Fire Prevention Code, identifying possible complementary and/or alternative solutions.
Fire protection in hotels: continuous extensions
Despite the public's high level of concern regarding safety, tourist accommodations have repeatedly faced delays in completing fire safety upgrades.
The 2021 Milleproroghe Decree extended the deadline for retrofitting existing hotel and non-hotel accommodation businesses to December 31, 2022. The extension was conditional on the submission of a partial SCIA (Certificate of Consent for the Commissioning of Buildings and Facilities for the Environment) no later than June 30, 2021. This document required demonstrating compliance with at least four of the requirements set forth in the Ministerial Decree of July 14, 2015. All hotels should now have completed the retrofitting work to comply with the Code and the Vertical Technical Regulation.
