Pop-up Gazebo Safety Regulations

The following safety regulations apply to the UK, and do not apply to installing marquees, pop-up gazebos and other temporary shelters in the Republic and Ireland and the EU.

All businesses are obliged to take all reasonably practicable steps to protect the health and safety of the general public, their staff, contractors, and anyone else who may be affected by their operations. This may involve processes such as risk assessments, accident documentation and insurance, and is detailed under the The Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.

However, pop-up gazebos and other temporary structures have regulations specifically relating to their installation and set-up, too. Some of the specific legislation surrounding marquees, gazebos and canopies includes:

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, which obliges the owners and controllers of marquees, instant gazebos and other temporary structures to the same fire safety obligations as those of permanent structures;
And the The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015, which requires people to seek planning permission when installing temporary structures for longer periods or in particular circumstances.
Local authorities may also have their own bylaws relating to the installation of pop-up marquees and instant shelters.

Pop-up Marquee Fire Safety Regulations

Businesses should always consider fire safety in all their operations, and this is no different when using a marquee. Marquees and canopies should be manufactured to be flame retardant, and businesses should take reasonable steps to only purchase and use safe models.

While using a marquee or temporary gazebo, the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 states that you should:

Ensure there is an escape route in the event of fire
And that this escape route does not contain any slip or trip hazards, including uneven surfaces
Marquees that can accommodate over 60 people or that have a travel distance of over 6.5 metres should have at least two fire exits
And fire exits should be a minimum of 1.05 metres.

Professional Advice and Legislation

The Institute of Structural Engineers has also provided some recommendations that should be considered best practice when setting up any temporary structure such as a pop-up marquee.

These include:

Ensuring that the marquee is set up properly in order to prevent structural failure;
Considering hazards when working out the layout and design of the shelter,
And taking crowd behaviour into account.

According to the UK's Health and Safety Executive (HSE), pop-up shelters and other so-called 'Temporary Demountable Structures' (TDS) are most dangerous when people fall from height during their installation, or when the structure itself, machinery or related equipment collapses.

The HSE has many TDS recommendations, which also apply to structures such as stages or seating. These include:

Ensuring any contractors you have setting up and dismantling the shelter are competent
Considering who is using the structure and how they will use it
Providing enough time and resources
Performing site assessments
And considering any construction hazards.

Other Marquee and Gazebo Safety Considerations

We at Oxnorth have some other considerations that we'd also like to draw your attention to. These include factors such as the weather, accessories and emergencies.

Have you checked the wind ratings for your specific marquee? Please ensure that you have used adequate gazebo weights and anchorage when setting up a marquee outdoors in windy weather.
Is it raining? Ensure that the roof of the gazebo is pulled taught to prevent water pooling on your gazebo and compromising its structural integrity. Hex-frame gazebos may be better-suited to rainy weather than box-frame gazebos, and our PVC marquee gutters may also be helpful.
Are electrical items PAT-certified? Are they suitable for use outdoors, should the weather turn against you?
Is the walkway and gazebo properly illuminated? You might want to invest in some marquee lighting.

If you have any questions, or if you think we've missed anything, please contact us - we're eager to hear from you!

Look through our website to see our pop-up marquees and gazebos for sale. We're shipping our products all over the UK and Ireland. Make an order online now; it's simple!