NFCC and BRC updates disposable BBQ guidelines amid rising wildfire concerns

Voluntary guidelines for disposable barbecues from the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) and the British Retail Consortium (BRC) have been updated, urging retailers, online marketplaces and sellers to take a risk-based approach to sales as concerns grow over extreme heat and wildfire risk.

The updated guidance comes as hot weather has continued into July, following record-breaking temperatures in May, and is intended to reflect changing weather conditions, recent incidents and evolving expectations from fire services, local authorities and other stakeholders.

The guidelines say retailers should work with their Primary Authority or relevant fire safety authorities to develop risk-based policies, while responding to reasonable, evidence-based requests to remove disposable BBQs from sale.

Businesses should have systems in place to review such requests and notify stores across their networks, with action potentially including local or national removal of the products from sale.

Retailers are also advised to consider removing disposable BBQs from sale when an extreme heat event has been declared imminent, while taking account of government emergency alerts, the Fire Severity Index and local conditions when deciding whether action is necessary.

The guidance also applies to online marketplaces and marketplace sellers, extending expectations around responsible sales beyond traditional retail stores.

A further key element of the updated guidance is the provision of clear information to customers on the safe and responsible use and disposal of disposable BBQs.

The BRC says on-pack information should be the primary channel for communicating safety advice, while retailers may also use shelf-edge warnings and online sellers can provide information on product listing pages or separate webpages.

The updated guidelines are designed to help reduce the risk of wildfires caused by improper use of disposable BBQs, as well as the risk of fires, burns and environmental damage more broadly.

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