Care home fire safety – why is it important?
Like all places of work, fire safety is crucial in minimising the risk of injury or death to both staff and members of the public. Even more so in care homes as each resident will have their own individual needs, such as dementia or reduced mobility that may require additional planning, training, and allocation of staff roles.
The need for thorough and regularly updated fire safety planning, risk assessments and evacuation plans are imperative to ensure the safety of your residents.
In 2019 The New Grange Care Home had to pay a £175,000 fine due to the death of two residents in a fire, caused by a lack of staff training and an inadequate evacuation plan. It was also discovered that the devastating Rosepark Care Home fire in 2011 could have been avoided if they had more suitable and sufficient fire safety plans.
Equally in 2019 the London Fire Brigade found 57% of the 117 care homes they inspected failed on their fire safety. With the main reasons being due to lack of planning, limited staff and lack of staff training.
All of these examples demonstrate how being prepared and having fully trained staff, could prevent incidents and keep both staff and residents safe in the event of a fire.
What are the causes of fire in residential care homes?
With over 1000 fires in residential care homes between 2019-2021, significant risk is present. The main causes of fire in residential care homes are often caused by electrical equipment (41%) and cooking appliances (21%).
However, the leading cause of any fire incident will be the misuse or neglect of equipment, or a lack of fire safety awareness.
In the Care sector, the adoption of more technological systems allows for greater attention to resident’s needs. But this in turn will require electrical equipment to be robust enough and have adequate protection for the environment in which it is being operated. Staff need to be aware of basic electrical safety and visual assessment of plugs, cables etc for loose wires, scorching and other tell-tale signs of defects.
This is even more important for residents’ electrical devices, for example laptop or mobile phone chargers that may not have received portable appliance testing, (PAT testing) unlike the home’s electrical equipment.
Importantly however, fires caused by smokers’ materials resulted in more fatalities than fires caused by any other single ignition source.
What percentage of fires in care homes are related to smoking?
The best way to prevent smoking-related fires is to control or help residents stop smoking. It has been the top factor in fatal fires for many years.
In 2020/21, smoking materials were recorded as the main ignition source in 21% of fire fatalities in England.
In 2016 alone there were no more than 120 care home fires in London caused by smoking materials. This quickly changed the London Fire Brigade’s view from allowing smoking on the premises as long as it was as safe as possible to no smoking at all.
It is important to consider the risk resulting from smoking in combination with other factors, notably oxygen therapy, emollient products and air flow pressure relieving mattresses.
Even now 13% of care home fires are related to smoking. Previously it was one of the biggest causes of accidental fire deaths, and even now is still one of the highest causes of residential care home fires. It is crucial therefore that smoking is controlled and monitored so smoking materials are disposed of correctly to prevent any risk of a fire.
Fire safety policies and procedures in care homes
The Care Home Regulations Act 2001 (amended in 2003) is a set of regulations that care homes must follow in England. The regulations are designed to ensure that care homes provide safe and effective care to their residents. It also states the regulations for fire safety in care homes.
Alongside this lies the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, which places responsibility on anyone with an involvement in fire safety in care homes such as registered managers. However, the primary duties lie with the care provider as the employer and therefore “Responsible Person.”
These Regulations state that a registered person must:
- Consult with a fire authority for advice.
- Take adequate precautions against fire risk.
- Plan for the detection, containment, and extinguishment of fires through provision of recommended fire safety equipment.
- Ensure the regular maintenance of fire safety equipment.
- Be responsible for the training of care home staff, and the appointment of competent fire wardens for the premises.
- Organise regular fire drills to practice evacuation procedures; all drills must be recorded, as should any equipment testing.
The best way to ensure these areas are considered is to make sure all staff are fully trained in using the fire safety equipment and understand their responsibilities in the event of a fire. Fire wardens should be appointed and have the further training required for their extra responsibilities.
The regulatory reform order states having a fire risk assessment and having it updated on a regular and preferably yearly basis are essential. It is critical these are updated with any changes to the building layout, or any other significant changes. It would also need updating if there are changes with residents’ medical needs for example oxygen cylinders in rooms.
Overall, your fire safety policy should inform about the homes general approach to fire safety. It would explain any fire safety risks, and how they are managed, and clearly state who does what, when and how. It is important that all fire safety policies and procedures are understood and this in turn shows the commitment to prevent harm to relevant persons (e.g., employees, residents, visitors, and contractors).
Care Home Fire Risk Assessments – what are they?
A fire risk assessment is an organised and methodical look at your premises, the activities undertaken on site and the likelihood that a fire could start and cause harm to those in and around the premises.
Like already discussed fire regulations in care homes in the UK are essential to ensure everyone’s safety. Similar to all risk assessments in health and social care there is lots to consider. In care homes all fire risk assessments need to be individually tailored according to each care home to best .
What to consider in a fire risk assessment in a care home?
As we have discussed already fire risk assessments in care homes are crucial but can be very complicated. It is vital therefore your care business considers a number of different things when conducting your fire risk assessment including:
- Identifying the fire hazards
- Reducing the risk of those hazards causing harm to as low as reasonably practicable
- Deciding what physical fire precautions and management arrangements are necessary to ensure the safety of people in your building if a fire does start
All these above need to be considered alongside regular testing on all fire safety equipment. Fire alarms should be tested weekly, extinguishers need to be tested and date checked, PAT testing and 5-year electrical testing is imperative for all electrical appliances in the home.
A clear structure in reporting faulty electrical items or fire safety equipment needs to be in place so defects can be dealt with swiftly.
Fire safety in care homes – Evacuation Training
In order for fire risks to be reduced fire training in care homes is essential. All care staff must be aware that residents in care premises will vary in terms of their mobility and their levels of awareness during a fire situation.
There will be residents who have mobility difficulties due to physical or mental impairment, and other residents with greater mobility who are able to co-operate with staff.
Fire safety procedures in care homes and practicing evacuation plans will help to train all members of staff to ensure they are all of aware of each resident’s evacuation plan. Through this training all staff will then be aware of any specialist equipment which may be required for the safe and timely movement of residents.
It is important when conducting evacuation training that your care home considers the following:
- Dependency or mobility issues of residents
- Evacuation plans to be updated at any significant changes to building or occupants.
- Inclusion within the plan and understanding of any specialist requirements for residents with Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans. (PEEPS)
- Staff competency in understanding fire alarm signals and staff who have specific responsibilities if there is a fire.
Classification of evacuation plans in care homes
When planning your care home evacuation plans it is also crucial to be aware of the different types of evacuation plans and which type of plans best fit your residents. These include:
- Single stage is where residents expected to be mobile and evacuate to a place of safety with the minimum of assistance.
- Progressive horizontal is where if a fire were to occur, residents are moved from the affected area to a nearby protected area. E.g., further down a corridor behind dividing fire doors.
- Delayed evacuation is where the residents living area may need to provide a temporary refuge to protect them from a fire elsewhere in the building until they can be taken to a place of total safety, or the danger has passed. This is an exception and requires considerable planning and fire prevention assessment.
- PEEPs (Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans) are more likely in nursing and residential homes where more assistance would be needed. Having posters in resident’s room summarising their PEEP can be very effective in reminding staff what to do.
Care home fire safety – Fire drill procedures
Another thing that needs to be considered are the fire drill procedures. Residential care homes need these to be practiced and recorded, as they are more likely to have PEEPs and hard of hearing occupants. The use of specialised equipment such as EVAC chairs in fire alarm drills are needed to ensure the safety of the residents. The actions of staff if there is a fire are likely to be crucial to their safety and that of other people in the premises.
Without having fire safety procedures in care homes your care business is at great risk of harming residents and staff. By having fully trained staff therefore these risks can be reduced and it can ensure every staff member is aware of their role in the event of a fire to keep everyone safe.
How to promote fire safety in care homes?
A final thing to consider is how can your care business can promote fire safety. It is essential to have evacuation plans and fire risk assessments updated consistently but without promoting these plans, running fire drills and procedures to practice, the practicalities of these plans is that no one will know what to do in an event of a fire or how to prevent one.
Through regularly having drills and testing alarm systems in care homes you can be certain that every staff member will be aware of what to do in the event of a fire.
If you're caring for someone who smokes, start by encouraging them to quit. If a resident isn't ready to stop, reducing risks is the next best thing. Vaping (E-cigarettes) can be helpful in stopping smoking and are less harmful, but they are not risk free and still need to be used safely. However as part of a quit attempt they have some of the highest quit success.
Ensure that your staff understand that basic fire safety of communal and resident areas should be part of their duty at work. This can prevent any incidents before they happen ensuring safety from any fire risk and that it is managed on a day to day basis.
For advice on how to promote fire safety further never feel ashamed to ask for expert help. There are plenty of resources out there that can help you promote fire safety better in your care business to both your staff and your residents.
The CQC’s guidance on fire safety in care homes is a great place to start if additional help is needed. We also recommend if you would like further advice to contact your local fire service where they can offer free advice on how to promote better fire safety in your care business.
Guidance on fire safety in care homes
Fire safety regulations in care homes may be complex with all the guidance and regulations that needs to be considered. There can be a lot of information for best practice but if a premise is unable to apply the guidance, then expert advice should be sought.
Good management, effective care plans and employing person-centred care, is essential to ensure that if fires occur; they are likely to be controlled or contained quickly and safely; or that, if a fire does occur and grow, your staff are able to ensure that everyone in your premises is able to get to a place of safety easily and in a timely manner.
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