Campsite health and safety requirements in the UK

Health and safety on campsites—the law

Most people only utter the words ‘health and safety’ in the context of that time-worn phrase: “it’s health and safety gone mad”. It’s often in reference to an overzealous warning that seems to go against common sense. But as soon as you start your own Hipcamp, or indeed any business involving the general public and/or employees, health and safety should become a top priority.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) demands that every UK business should have a health and safety policy to manage their particular risks. It only needs to be a written policy if you have five or more employees—and is mainly aimed at keeping workplaces safe—however as a Hipcamp host you have a responsibility for keeping members of the public safe when they stay with you too. Writing down a health and safety policy involves identifying risks and stating how to minimise and manage them, so it can be a useful tool even if it’s not a legal requirement for your business. You can use the online HSE risk assessment tool to help you do this.

Health and safety—model standards

The particular risks you may want to think about for your Hipcamp, whether it’s a camping, glamping, or caravan site, will be particular to the terrain, location, and type of accommodation on offer. In general, though, you should be aiming to run a site that is properly managed, well maintained, and sanitary, with a plan in place to deal with any problems.

The laws governing campsite and caravan licencing, The Public Health Act (1936) and the Caravan and Control of Development Act (1960), are useful in determining what the general risks on a campsite are. Licences issued in accordance with these laws, and the model standards set out under them, exemplify what is considered safe in terms of spacing of pitches, fire safety, and provision of facilities. The specifics in the following subsections are taken from Model Standards for Touring Sites (from the Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act). The act itself explains that these should not be applied exactly in every situation but they cover most risk areas so are useful whether you are thinking about camping, glamping, or caravans for your Hipcamp.

Number and density of camping pitches

Deciding on how many pitches you want on your Hipcamp is not just a matter of how much money you can make or how much space you want each guest to have but of safety too. According to law, the number of pitches on the useable area of a site should not exceed 30 units per acre. There should be at least six metres between pitches—including three metres of clear space (ie: no cars parked) for fire safety. Emergency vehicles should be able to access within 90 metres of every pitch.

Fire precautions

As above, clear space between pitches should be at least three metres and no pitch or caravan should be more than 90 metres from a fire point. At each fire point there should be two 10-litre water extinguishers (complying with British Standard 5423) and there should be a method of raising the alarm. There should also be a notice explaining the steps to take in the event of a fire: raise the alarm, evacuate the area, call the fire brigade, suppress the fire using the provided equipment.

Campfires are a really big part of the experience at many Hipcamps—after all, there’s nothing like toasting marshmallows and telling stories on a camping trip—but they do add an extra risk. This can be mitigated by keeping them well away from pitches and accommodation and contained in designated areas: either dug fire pits with stones surrounding them or off-ground fire pits. As a host, hiring out safe firepits is also a fantastic way to increase your Hipcamp’s revenue. Extra fire safety and first aid precautions should be brought in. If you allow campfires and barbecues, you might like to read and make available the Government’s advice on outdoor fire safety too. 

If you have glamping units with log burners you need to follow guidance for these and have them installed or checked by a qualified person; this should include installing smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors. Carbon monoxide is also an issue if people use barbecues or flames inside tents, awnings, or caravans. Your rules should be clear that this is not allowed and you might want to display signs about the dangers of this. A poster explaining the danger is available from the Gas Safety Register.

Campsite and caravan park facilities

What facilities you decide to provide on your Hipcamp is mostly up to you but water and toilets are non-negotiable. When it comes to water, the law states that there should be plenty of drinking water available and a soakaway or gully at each tap. If water is from a private source it should be tested regularly, in accordance with regulations.

All campsites listed on Hipcamp must have access to a toilet, whether provided by the Host or the Hipcamper. If the Host provides a toilet, it must be onsite with unrestricted access. You can read more about our toilet policy here. In the past, some casual campsites operating under permitted development rights would not have needed to provide a toilet. But if you are in England and want to operate under the 60-day rule, you are now obliged to provide toilets for your campers as well as waste disposal.

Following HSE guidance, all facilities should be kept in a sanitary condition, with two toilets for women and one toilet and one urinal for men on sites with between 10 and 30 pitches. Beyond that, the provision should be this amount per 30 pitches. (Remember, these are just minimum recommendations, you may wish to offer plenty more). If providing toilets is not feasible, stays should be limited to self-contained units with their own toilets (usually campervans, caravans, and motorhomes) and a chemical disposal point should be supplied with a waste water tap for rinsing (signed as non-potable).

You can find more information about different toilet types and different shower options for your Hipcamp here. 

Any electricity and gas on site should be installed by qualified persons in accordance with the relevant regulations. With regards to electricity, this means meeting the requirements of the Institute of Electrical Engineers. You should display signs for no naked flames near gas bottles and can read more about gas safety on the HSE website.

Natural hazards on the campsite

You need to be aware of natural hazards specific to your site—these can include trees and vegetation, which you need to manage with the help of qualified tree surgeons. You should also be aware of the hazard posed by any water within your site and of the flood risk in your area with a plan to deal with emergencies that may arise from either. If you operate a campsite on a farm or land with other businesses present, there may be hazards associated with them. Is there farm machinery around? Are there animals nearby? Be clear what the hazards are and make campers aware if there are areas they should not go into. Displaying The Countryside Code and notices to close gates on fields containing livestock are sensible too.

First aid

Your Hipcamp should have prominent notices stating what to do in an emergency with details of how to contact police, ambulance, and the fire service. It should also detail local doctors and where the nearest phone is. The full address should be shown here too—and a sign should be displayed with the name of the site at the entrance. You should keep a first aid kit on site and let people know where this is. Monitor the contents and keep it kitted up with things you need. As campsites vary so much there is no one recommended set-up that we can describe here but a kit that meets British Standard BS8599 is recommended by the HSE. They also recommend extra items specific to the risks at your workplace. On a campsite these might include, for example, insect stings and burns.

Campsite insurance

Being aware of all the risks and having emergency procedures in place can help to mitigate the risks that are present on your Hipcamp. But it is impossible to mitigate them out of existence, so public liability insurance is necessary. This is designed to cover any claims if a member of the public is injured or has property damaged while staying at your campsite. If you host with Hipcamp you’ll benefit from our Hipcamp Insurance Policy; this includes public liability (known in the US as general liability) up to $1,000,000 USD. Our Property Protection Plan also provides reimbursement for up to $10,000 USD in damages in the event a camper damages a host’s property during their stay. If you take bookings from other sources, you will need a separate insurance policy, since Hipcamp’s insurance only covers bookings taken through Hipcamp.

This article was created by the Hipcamp team based on our years of experience, research, and local understanding. However, please note that this is still only our interpretation of UK regulations and does not constitute legal advice. Hipcamp does not accept responsibility for errors and omissions. Different conditions may apply depending on your individual circumstances and we recommend seeking professional advice on implementing the rules.

This article was first published on 18th March 2023.