Evacuation procedures
Could you evacuate your care home?
Darren Franks, director of GLOBEX Evacuation Limited, explains why care home operators and managers need to take a closer look at their emergency evacuation procedures
Evacuating an upper or lower floor level of a commercial building in the event of an emergency – or when lifts cannot be used – is something most people take for granted – simply follow the fire exit signs and walk up or down the stairs. However, for mobility impaired persons, it is not so simple. In a care home, mobility impaired residents and visitors may be dependent on staff assistance to get them to a place of safety in the event of an emergency or when lifts cannot be used – but are suitable and sufficient provisions really in place in every home?
A fire at Rosepark care home in Uddingston, South Lanarkshire, in January 2004 resulted in the deaths of 14 elderly residents. An inquiry found that “some or all” of these deaths could have been prevented had Rosepark had a “suitable and sufficient” fire safety plan. In April 2017, firefighters were called to a fire at a care home in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire. While firefighters were able to rescue 33 residents from the blaze, two residents died.
Serious failings The above examples and a number of other fires in 2017/18 raised concerns that Fire Safety arrangements in care homes were in need of review. To that end, in 2018, London Fire Brigade carried out a detailed inspection of 177 properties.1 These inspections identified a range of safety failures. Fifty-seven per cent of the homes inspected were formally notified by London Fire Brigade that issues needed to be addressed. According to the report that
40
followed the inspection: n In 45 per cent of the 177 homes, the fire risk assessment was found to be not suitable or not sufficiently comprehensive.
n In 14 per cent of the homes there was evidence of poor emergency planning, or a potential lack of staff to implement the plan. The report stated:
n There was evidence of confusion in the documentation, or among managers and staff, over the premises emergency plan. There were also some cases of ‘generic evacuation strategies’, where the care home operator has more than one building, rather than an emergency plan that is building specific. In these cases it was difficult to align the emergency plan with the staffing levels, actions and responsibilities.1
n In 10 per cent of the homes, there was evidence of inadequate training for staff and managers. The report stated:
All care home providers and managers should take a look at their fire safety and evacuation arrangements
Fire safety training was found to be online only in some cases, rather than in-house practical training (where evacuation drills and use of evacuation equipment may be included). Fire safety training is becoming generic, rather than providing a bespoke package relating to the specific premises a care worker regularly works in.1 The report concluded that: … there is a need for owners, managers and operators to maintain a comprehensive oversight of the fire safety protection and other management arrangements to reduce the risks and ensure the safety of residents and staff in case of fire.
Debbie Ivanova, the then CQC deputy chief inspector of adult social care for the London region, said: “It’s the responsibility of those in charge of running care homes to ensure the right fire protection measures are in place in order to keep people safe.”2 This audit was just London – imagine the outcome of visiting all care homes in the UK!
Learning lessons Care home providers and managers can face many challenges when it comes to evacuating mobility impaired residents, staff, and visitors to a place of safety. The question is whether lessons really have been
www.thecarehomeenvironment.com July 2024
Andrey Popov -
stock.adobe.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51
