FIRE SAFETY
HTM 05-01 HTM 05-02 HTM 05-03, operational provisions, subdivided into the
following parts Managing Healthcare Fire Safety
A B
C D E F
G J
K
Table 1: Fire safety topics covered in HTM 05.
Fire Safety in the design of healthcare premises Training
Fire detection and alarm systems Textiles and furnishings
Commercial enterprises in hospitals Escape lifts in healthcare premises
Arson prevention and control in NHS healthcare premises Laboratories on healthcare premises
Guidance on fire engineering in healthcare premises Guidance on fire risk assessments in complex healthcare premises M Fire safety in atria
Medical gases and building set-ups n Piped medical gases, including oxygen and nitrous oxide (50% oxygen), can aid in the rapid development of fire.
n Extensive use of cylinders, including those containing oxygen, can aid the rapid development of a fire, while cylinders exposed to heat can explode with devastating effect (e.g. the Great Ormond Street Fire in 2008).
n Extensive use of compartmentation and sub- compartmentation to restrict the growth of a fire.
n Interaction of life-critical complex engineering systems. n The separation of any higher-risk areas in a ward or department into a 30-minute fire protected hazard room.
Other hazards n Arson is one of the greatest hazards.
The above list is only a small sample, but it is vital that the risks are properly assessed and managed to minimise damage and disruption. For example, a historic fire incident involving the medical gas pipeline system at a hospital caused extensive fire damage, while a similar more recent fire at a hospital caused relatively minor fire damage (see Figures 1 and 2). The main difference was that the medical gas pipeline system was isolated at an early stage in the latter – a product of an effective training needs analysis and management system. If you are considering completing FRAs in complex
healthcare premises, an in-depth knowledge of Part K, and some knowledge of the rest of Firecode, are essential. Some of the methodology in Part K may be useful in other
Hazard identification
Control measures (fire prevention) Policy
Practice Fire Risk Assessment
Assessment of the likelihood of fire
The FRA should be used to refine policy and should do so when good practice and learning are identified
Action Plan
Figure 3: The fire risk assessment process
(extracted from HTM 05-03 Part K (2024)).
44 Health Estate Journal April 2025
Action plan distribution and delivery Review of FRA
Assessment of the likely consequences if a fire occurs
buildings, for instance when remediating existing fire seals in fire-rated walls where the manufacturer of the seal is not known (HTM 05-03 Part K, Appendix A). Part K is a newly revised document, and provides a
pragmatic means to achieve regulatory compliance. Familiarity with the document would be helpful for the Continuing Professional Development of professional persons completing FRAs.
Notable elements in the revised Part K
Risk Assessments Primary: A primary fire risk assessment (FRA) is now required for the whole building, including common areas, and will include building management arrangements such as the fire strategy, fire alarm system, external wall system, and compartmentation. Secondary: A secondary FRA is required to locally assessed or managed areas such as wards or departments. The methodology outlined in PAS 793
is
generally adopted, although the risk matrix is 5 x 5, to fit with NHS reporting systems.
External wall systems Guidance on external wall risk assessment is included, and follows the methodology in PAS 9980.4
Alignment to PAS 79 The most severe level of potential consequences resulting from a fire has been amended to ‘catastrophic’, to align with PAS 79. While the revised HTM states that it is not necessary to provide indicative timescales for completion
Consequences
Occupant building factors Fire protection measures Management factors Policy
Including false alarms (previously part H)
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