If you're trading from a catering van or food stall at any outdoor event in Cumbria this summer, you are legally responsible for fire safety in your trading unit. Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, anyone operating a temporary food outlet at a market, festival, or agricultural show is the "responsible person" for that unit. This guide covers what you need in place before you trade, what event organisers will check, and the mistakes that catch traders out most often.
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 applies to every non-domestic premises in England and Wales. That includes your catering van, your pop-up pizza oven, and your market stall with a gas burner. If you're cooking or heating food for sale, your trading unit counts.
Under Article 9 of the Order, the responsible person must carry out a fire risk assessment. For a sole trader, that's you. For a limited company operating a mobile unit, it's whoever has control of the premises. This assessment doesn't need to be a hundred-page document. It needs to identify fire hazards in your setup, who could be harmed, and what you've done to reduce the risk.
Building Regulations Approved Document B sets out fire safety provisions that apply to temporary structures and catering units at events. The provisions cover separation distances between units, the siting of LPG cylinders, and access routes for emergency vehicles. Event organisers should enforce these, but the responsibility for your own unit's compliance sits with you.
The National Fire Chiefs Council's outdoor event fire safety guidance makes clear that every trader using naked flames, hot oil, or LPG must have appropriate fire extinguishing equipment to hand. A wet chemical extinguisher is the correct type for cooking oil fires. A dry powder extinguisher on its own is not enough if you're deep-frying.
Having worked with traders across Cumbria, from Appleby Horse Fair to Keswick market, the same problems come up year after year.
The most common is wrong extinguisher type. Traders buy a general-purpose dry powder extinguisher from a hardware store and assume they're covered. If you're working with cooking oils or fats, you need a wet chemical extinguisher rated for Class F fires. Dry powder won't suppress a chip pan fire safely.
Second is expired or unserviced equipment. Extinguishers require annual servicing to BS 5306-3. A five-year-old extinguisher with no service record is a liability, not protection. Event safety officers increasingly check service tags on the gate.
Third is LPG storage. Gas cylinders left in direct sunlight, stored inside the van rather than in a ventilated compartment, or positioned next to the cooking area with no separation distance. These are straightforward hazards with straightforward fixes, but traders overlook them when setting up in a rush.
Fourth: no written fire risk assessment at all. Many sole traders assume this only applies to restaurants or offices. It applies to you. And event organisers in Cumbria are increasingly asking to see one before allowing access to the site.
Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, trading without a fire risk assessment is a criminal offence. Enforcement officers can prohibit you from trading on the spot. For summer events across the Lake District, where footfall is at its highest, this is the single document you cannot afford to skip.
If you're unsure whether your fire extinguishers are the right type or still in service, get them checked before the season starts. BFP services extinguishers across Cumbria and can advise on what your specific setup needs.
July is the busiest month for outdoor events in Cumbria. Agricultural shows, food festivals, lakeside markets, and village fêtes run almost every weekend from Carlisle to Barrow-in-Furness. High temperatures, LPG cooking, and crowds all push fire risk to its peak.
Gov.uk fire statistics show that catering premises consistently feature in summer fire incident data. The risk isn't theoretical. A cooking oil fire in a crowded market can escalate in seconds, and a trader without the right equipment or training turns a small flare-up into something much worse.
If you're trading at multiple events across the Lake District this summer, a single fire risk assessment tailored to your unit type will cover you at each venue, provided the setup doesn't change significantly. Update it if you add new equipment or change your gas configuration.
Yes. Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, any non-domestic premises requires a fire risk assessment. If your stall uses any heat source, including a gas burner, griddle, or deep fryer, you must complete one before trading. Even stalls without cooking equipment may need one depending on the event organiser's requirements.
If you cook with oil or fat, you need a wet chemical extinguisher rated for Class F fires. You should also carry a CO2 extinguisher for electrical equipment. Both must be serviced annually to BS 5306-3. A dry powder extinguisher on its own is not suitable for cooking oil fires.
Yes. Event organisers have a duty to manage fire safety across the site. If your unit lacks a fire risk assessment, the correct extinguishers, or safe LPG storage, they can refuse you access. Fire and rescue service officers attending the event can also issue prohibition notices on the spot.