Whether you are using your static caravan yourself, or if you are letting it out, you need to make sure that your unit is completely safe and covered with regard to gas and electric safety. Some caravans can be very tightly-packed, which means that they are at high risk of electrical or gas fires. All holiday parks should offer you a caravan and a pitch which is completely safe and fit for use. However, it is also crucial to ensure that such standards are in place before you buy.
As an owner, too, you will need to clear payments for checks each year as standard. Otherwise, think about the hazards you could be offering to potential tenants! Securing your caravan for gas and electricity safety means more than just setting up a smoke alarm or making sure you have the right fire-fighting equipment available. You are going to need to check your property inside and out.
The running costs of a static caravan can be impacted by safety measures, but they are completely necessary. In this guide, we will take you through what you need to know about ensuring your caravan is completely safe for use and enjoyment. As stated, much of this will fall to your park operator, however, it does pay to check things through thoroughly before you start taking your holidays here.
Read here about the Costs of owning a static caravan
What Do You Need to Protect Against?
Ultimately, gas and electric safety measures in your static caravan will protect you against the risk of fires and carbon monoxide spreading. Failure to protect against either could not only cause huge damage to your property but could also put lives at risk. Therefore, these are measures you should be looking into as a priority!
The best way to start protecting against fire and carbon monoxide is to make sure that your caravan is fitted with the standard safety equipment and prevention tools you expect when you move in. Let’s take a look at these in a little more detail.
Fire Prevention and Safety
Fire spreads quickly and can devastate just as fast. Therefore, you should be ready to protect your property and the people who use it from the very possibility of a blaze.
The first thing you should do is set up smoke alarms in your caravan. These will react instantly to smoke and can therefore be relied on across all hours of the day. Make sure that your caravan comes fitted with alarms which are regularly checked and tested. Do make sure that your smoke alarms are fully-powered across the year, as you never know when you’ll need them the most.
Of course, you should also have measures in place to help fight fires. For small cooking fires, make sure to have a fire blanket installed on the premises. This can be used to cover small blazes. You should also make sure to have a fire extinguisher on-site. In the event of a fire, you should always evacuate immediately, if it cannot be contained. All residents in your caravan should be encouraged to leave without possessions right away, before the emergency services are alerted.
Carbon Monoxide Safety
Carbon monoxide can be extremely hazardous. Gas leaks, too, while uncommon in static caravans, will also put residents at risk. The best way to combat carbon monoxide is to have an alarm installed and regularly checked.
These systems will pick up on odourless gas which could be harmful when inhaled, and will encourage you to exit the property as soon as possible. Once again, this is when emergency services should be alerted.
You can also curb the threat of carbon monoxide if you ensure that your property is fully-ventilated and that your park operators have made attempts to install proper flues. It is never a good idea to amend or adjust ventilation yourself. Such modification may actually make matters worse. If you are in doubt on anything regarding gas safety, make sure to consult your operator, or to get in touch with the Gas SafeRegister.
Why Have Safety Checks?
It’s safe to say that holiday homes and static caravans are built to withstand most disasters. However, in the event of a genuine emergency, you are going to want to know that your appliances and fixtures are safe and practical for everyday use. It’s very unlikely you will ever find a holiday park that doesn’t cater to health and safety standards within their contractual arrangements. This is worth knowing if you worry about what a contract includes, and what could be expected of you in return.
Most static holiday caravans arrive fitted with a variety of modern gas and electricity appliances and standards. Therefore, they must all be safe and fit for purpose for years to come. However, you are legally encouraged to undergo safety checks for gas and electric regularly. This can help to ensure your property and its fittings are always safe to use and that there has not been any deterioration in their running from season to season.
You may have already come across safety checks in your own home. It is more or less the same procedure at holiday parks and in static holiday caravans. Therefore, you should already be willing to undertake such checks. Parks will require that you allow access for checks and that you pay for them, too, as part of your fees to them.
You may not think that fires in static holiday caravans are too commonplace. However, this doesn’t mean that the risks should be ignored. You genuinely never know when something bad is going to happen in terms of this kind of disaster. Therefore, both you and your park operator share a responsibility to protect any properties in question.
Gas Safety in Static Holiday Caravans
Arranging for gas safety checks at static holiday caravans is always straightforward. Many holiday parks will require you to have gas safety checks at your caravan every year. This means that your gas appliances, flues and more will be thoroughly checked and assessed by a professional contractor. You should expect to pay around £100 annually for this service, and a holiday park operator may encourage you to pay this as part of your ongoing fees.
If you are letting your caravan, you must ensure that your tenants have access to a valid gas safety certificate. You’ll need to offer this to any tenants before they head to your property, or within 28 days of a full check being carried out. Always make sure your caravan is fully checked gas safety for static caravansand maintained for gas safety, regardless of park guidelines or advice.
Electrical Safety in Static Holiday Caravans
Again, you should always arrange for safety checks on your electricity and appliances even if you are not going to let a caravan out. If you are going to let a caravan, it becomes a legal requirement. PAT testing is the standard you have to follow across electrical equipment and appliances. This can take place once a year, and you can ask an electrician to run a thorough audit of your appliances just to be careful.
You should also take general care with any electrical appliances in your static holiday caravan. For example, make sure to keep fabrics or flammable material away from any heating or electrical units. You should also avoid overloading sockets and adaptors, as these will be at risk of starting fires. You will also need to make sure you are using good quality sockets and adaptors, too, which are unlikely to develop problems during usage.
As always, exercise extreme caution when working with electrical appliances. You should never try to fix or maintain electrical appliances or equipment yourself. Electricity can not only cause serious injury and harm, it can kill if not handled with care.
Do also ensure that your electrical equipment is free from bare wire or slashing to cables. Anything that is loose or unfixed is also going to be at risk of causing harm or injury. If there is any risk of overheating or burn damage to these appliances, you should make sure to unplug them and stop using them as soon as possible.
Here’s Why Safety Matters
Safety in your static holiday caravan is paramount. Not only to you and any of your friends or family you may host there, but for any tenants you let to. Once you own a static holiday caravan, you will take on a duty of care. It will also likely be in your contract with your park to make sure your property is carefully maintained and checked. Even if you cause damage or start fires through willful negligence, you may be subject to legal action.
Safety is a must. Your park operator will let you know more about what to expect from safety protocols and how you can safeguard your holiday home. However, do always be ready to take on a lot of the legwork yourself. Check your contract and do make sure to discuss concerns with safety experts as well as your park operations staff.