People travel extensively for many reasons; some are adventure-hungry thrill seekers, hunting out remote places to explore. Others are professional business travellers who are going to the same sort of remote areas in the course of their jobs.
Whatever the reason, travellers will need somewhere to stay once they get to their destination. For some, this will be a simple tent, or a basic lodging house. For business travellers, it will probably be hotel accommodation.
Most reputable companies will book their employees into good quality hotels that offer certain minimum standards. However, that does not necessarily ensure that the employee’s trip will be a safe one.
Many top hotels present a glittering façade, whilst cutting corners on safety away from the guest’s sight.
It is therefore up to the individual to take their own steps to ensure that their safety and welfare is given priority. These steps are relatively simple, and need no specific training to carry out.
Choosing your room
When checking in at reception, it is essential that a room is requested that offers safety and security. Ground floor rooms are not recommended, as they are ideal targets for break-ins, particularly in poorer districts.
Rooms on higher floors may offer a better view, but will be out of the reach of a fire-fighter’s ladder in the event of the hotel catching fire.
The best option would appear to be a room on a floor no higher than the fifth, and at least one level up from the ground floor.
Once checked in, and before you hit the mini bar, the guest should test the fire exit route. It is sensible to check the route all the way to fresh air. This route should be displayed on a card mounted near the entrance door. Simply checking the card is not sufficient.
Check your Fire Escape Route
Walk the route taking note of your surroundings. Count the number of doors you pass on the way to the fire exit. Check the door to the stairwell is unlocked, and the fire escape steps are serviceable. Walk downstairs to the bottom, and check that the outer door is unblocked. It’s a bit late to discover the exit is chained shut when the building is ablaze.
Many hotels have alarms on the exit doors, so it is courteous to tell reception that you will be walking the fire route, and that they may wish to either disable the alarm, or send a member of staff to assist you.
A major European airline ensures that at least one member of the flight crew walks to fresh air once they check in. Hotels are becoming familiar with this, and it helps to ensure that fire escape wells are not used as a dumping ground for rubbish, old mattresses, and other debris.
Walking the route is also an excellent reason for not booking the penthouse on the 55th floor!
Preparation is essential in increasing your chances of survival should the worst happen.
Plan Ahead!
You must plan ahead for worst-case scenarios. If there is a fire alarm, it will in all probability occur during the small hours of the morning, and you will be confused and disoriented.
If it is a genuine fire evacuation, you don’t want to waste time fumbling for the essentials, so you should have these ready prepared.
Your lifesaver will be your room key. If it is a real fire, you may find that your way to the exit is blocked with smoke, heat and flame, so the ability to get back to the relative safety of your room is of paramount importance.
A small LED torch is also essential in case the power is cut, and the emergency lighting system is not working. Many mobile telephones have a reasonably powerful light that may be used should the power fail.
It’s also a good idea to have a pair of flat-soled shoes available if you have to evacuate your room. In a real fire, you could be passing through areas of broken glass, debris and hot surfaces, so some form of protection is recommended.
One of the biggest threats in a fire is that of smoke. If your escape route is blocked, you may have to return to the safety of your room. It is important to take some time to seal your room against smoke penetration.
This is reasonably easy to achieve. Soak towels, bed sheets, pillow cases, and items of clothing in water, and use these to seal the door and the vents of the air conditioning system.
If the back of the door feels hot to the touch of the back of the hand, then soaking it with water may slow down the burning process...
Fill the bath with water, and using the ice bucket, sluice water over the door and walls, soaking them thoroughly. Caution needs to be exercised near electrical outlets in case the power is still on.
Getting Help Fast
Having taken these steps to secure your room for a short while, you may now consider summoning the help. The hotel phone should be used in the first instance, as reception staff will then know that you are still trapped in the building.
If the phone doesn’t work, or you get no answer then you may need to call the emergency services yourself.
Emergency numbers vary across the world. In the USA its 911, in the UK its 999, so what number should be dialled? Did you check before you arrived?
Interestingly, that there is a new emergency number, which will eventually become common globally, and that is 112. A simple check on an internet search engine such as Google should reveal which countries recognise which number.
It may be impossible for you to raise the outside world. Communication must now be established with the emergency services to let them know that you are still alive, and trapped in your room.
Is it possible to open a window, and shout out, thus raising the alarm? On many modern hotels the windows are sealed units to prevent gloomy guests from ending it all by launching themselves out of the fifteenth storey.
Some “experts” advocate smashing that glass to attract attention.
This is not a good idea. Never perform an action that can’t be reversed. If it is possible to smash a window (probably by hurling the 32 inch flat-screen TV through it!) it may well cause a funnel effect that sucks contaminated air and smoke into you room.
The falling TV may also flatten one of the emergency services, and this may well decrease your level of priority in the rescue plan.
The best way to attract the attention of your rescuers is to hang a white sheet or blanket in the window. The emergency services are probably using image intensifiers to look for signs of life in the building, and a white sheet should stand out extremely well against the backdrop of the hotel.
So – having checked everything, and considered your action plan - you may now officially hit the Mini-bar. Stay Safe out there.... Always prepare for the worst.
Mark Charlwood - A skilled aviation and technology specialist, able to write cogent, articulate and engaging articles on a variety of subjects.
Join the Conversation