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While fire safety is important in any building, commercial or residential, it is of paramount importance in care homes due to the vulnerability of residents. Fires in care homes not only put both lives and livelihoods at risk, but they can also have a drastic effect on critical community services.
Conducting a fastidious fire risk assessment is the first step to safeguarding both staff and residents who may be elderly, disabled or have special needs. This article will begin by summarising some of the main fire risks in care homes, before outlining the primary steps involved in a fire risk assessment for a residential care home.
All buildings are at risk of fire, depending on their investment in a fire protection, prevention or suppression system. However, there are numerous specific factors in care homes such as the number of occupants, high power usage, and the presence of specialised (often medical) equipment. Below are some of the most common fire hazards in these types of facilities:
Residents who rely on medical oxygen are at high risk, as oxygen tanks are highly flammable. It is imperative that oxygen cylinders are stored away from any ignition points or sources of heat, and that there is a zero-tolerance policy for having open flames (e.g. candles, cigarettes etc.) near oxygen tanks.
According to the London Fire Brigade, around 13% of fires in care homes are caused by smoking. It’s strongly recommended that care homes have a no-smoking policy for residents and staff alike. Residents shouldn’t be encouraged to smoke, but perhaps advised that they should switch to either vaping or e-cigarettes.
Catering kitchens run intensively for many hours of the day to supply residents and staff. Fryers, cooking equipment and oils can all present a fire risk. 41% of fires in care homes are caused by cooking and cookers, and 21% by kitchen appliances. Kitchen equipment and electrical appliances need to be cleaned and serviced regularly and run according to manufacturer recommendations. Flammable ingredients and materials should also be safely stored away from potential sources of ignition. Finally, kitchens must be regularly inspected for safety risks (such as exposed or faulty wiring) and ideally staff would be trained in commercial kitchen management.
Care homes typically have hazardous materials on site with specific storage and disposal requirements. Any health and safety assessment should incorporate the use of solvents, cleaning products, chemical and biological waste and medicines, as these also pose several risks outside of fire safety.
In terms of regulations, the main point of reference for fire risk assessments is The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. Using this as a basis, below is a brief step-by-step guide to assessing fire risks in care homes.
Anything with the potential to exacerbate fire damage can be classed as a fire hazard. This may include equipment such as portable gas heaters or deep fryers. It can also refer to specific actions (or areas of negligence) such as overloading plug sockets with excessive electrical equipment. When surveying fire risks, it’s important to remember the three key elements that cause fires to both start and spread: a point of ignition, a source of fuel, and the presence of oxygen.
While any occupant or resident is at risk of fire, there must be due consideration for those who face significant danger of harm such as older people and young children, as well as people with reduced mobility or reliance on medical equipment (such as oxygen tanks or IV systems). Staff who work in isolation, such as night-shift workers, nurses, and security staff must also be accounted for. Finally, risk assessments must include people who are not familiar with the premises such as visitors, temporary staff, and contractors. By identifying those who are at particular risk, your fire safety plan can ensure everyone has the same chance to safely evacuate the building in the event of a fire.
Every identified fire risk must be assigned a recommended action. The exact nature of this risk can vary, from installing a new fire suppression system (e.g. sprinklers or fire extinguishers) or enlisting experts to repair damaged or neglected fire doors. This is the first step to creating a culture of responsibility as far as fire safety is concerned. The second step is to assign roles and responsibilities, ‘fire safety warden’ being a primary example. While everyone should already be motivated to ensure rules are being followed, it’s this type of direct accountability that is most likely to spark action.
There must be a clear paper trail for any remedial actions taken following your fire risk assessment. It should be rigorously documented exactly who has taken a certain action, what their specific responsibilities are, and when a certain fire hazard has been dealt with. This is important for two reasons. Firstly, without strict record-keeping, important actions and measures can slip through the cracks. Secondly, it provides a key point of reference for ongoing risk management.
Regulations specify that a care home must install and maintain an L1 Fire Alarm System. This is an automatic fire alarm system designed for the protection of life. They cover the entire building and are the most comprehensive fire alarm systems available.
Fire alarm systems must be visually inspected each day for damage and errors, and should be professionally inspected and tested every six months to remain compliant.
A fire warden is the designated person responsible for implementing and managing the care home’s fire safety strategy. There should be one fire warden if you have fewer than fifteen employees and residents, two if you have between fifteen and fifty employees and residents, and one additional fire warden for every additional fifty employees and residents thereafter. All shifts must be adequately covered, so extra trained fire wardens will likely be needed to fill in certain shifts.
To optimise safety, staff must receive fire safety training twice a year, while all staff should receive this training at least once a year. This should include fire safety drills or simulated evacuations. Fire wardens should be initially trained when appointed and then receive relevant refresher courses once every 6 months.
CLM Fireproofing has spent the last 30 years providing fully-compliant passive fire protection for commercial and residential buildings. We have worked extensively with local authorities to provide industry-leading fire protection in care homes, social housing, and government buildings, working with the utmost sensitivity and professionalism. Contact us today to find out more about our services, which include fire risk surveys, compartmentation, structural steel fire protection, fire stopping and fire doors.
While fire safety is important in any building, commercial or residential, it is of paramount importance in care homes due to the vulnerability of residents. Fires in care homes not only put both...
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