Tragedy After Fire In A Caravan Near Bedford

On the 18th December there was a tragedy near Bedford when two people died in a caravan fire. We do not know the details and lay no blame at anyone’s feet but it has made us think a little about fire safety in caravans.

If people stay in your caravans as part of your business then there are regulations that you must adhere to and if you haven’t already you should seek professional advice and a professional risk assessment that will demonstrate what you need to do to meet those regulations. Bedford is an area that we cover as well as much of the surrounding area.

If you have a caravan of your own, there are no regulations but how much have you thought about fire safety? A caravan is such a small place that it may seem an over reaction but there are still fire hazards and a fire could still trap you. Here’s some thoughts:

• Are your cooking appliances checked for gas safety?
• Visually check all gas connections.
• Do you have more than one way to leave the caravan in case a fire occurs between you and the door?
• Consider storing something near a rear window that will break it in an emergency.
• Ensure there are no flammables stored or left near cooking appliances.
• Never leave cooking unattended.
• Get a smoke alarm for early warning.
• Ensure any heaters are stand alone.
• Do not dry things directly on any heaters.
• Do not smoke in the caravan.
• Keep mobile phones with you.
• Get at least one fire extinguisher – one for each end is best.

This list is not exclusive as all caravans are different but we encourage you to perform a fire risk assessment so that you can identify any possible causes of fire, how to remove or reduce the chance of those fires occurring and how to ensure no one is hurt if a fire does break out.