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Falls from a hotel window
Following the tragic death of a guest falling from an open hotel window, concerns have been raised the possibility of a similar accident occurring
The person in charge of residential accommodation is responsible for ensuring that all reasonably practicable means are taken to protect the health and safety of the guests. The following advice may be of assistance in complying with this requirement.
Risk Assessment
All workplaces, including hotels and guest houses, must complete a risk assessment. Where there are 5 or more employees the findings of the assessment must be recorded.
Following this incident within the town, all risk assessments in hotels and guest houses should be reviewed. This review should ensure that the risk of falls from the windows of the premises has been included.
Further information regarding risk assessments can be found at the following links:
Window Opening
All windows in the accommodation should be examined, particularly where they are above ground floor, and it should be determined whether they are accessible.
Where the window is accessible, it may be possible to rearrange the furniture to limit the access.
Where it is not possible to limit the access to the window it may be necessary to restrict the window opening. It is recommended that the opening is restricted to 100mm to reduce the risk of people, including children, falling out of the window.
Furniture Positioning
Furniture within the bedroom should be located away from window sills in order to reduce the risk of accidental falls.
Be aware that guests could move furniture in the room, and this possibility should be included in any risk assessment.