Fire safety
a DSEAR (The Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002) assessment, which will identify potential risks and offer clear recommendations on the actions needed to protect everyone in the building and comply with regulations. Those carrying out fire risk assessments
will also have highly specialised knowledge of the specific risks posed in care homes, ensuring they are mitigated as far as possible through adequate processes and fire protection and prevention systems. Seeking third-party accreditation of contractors is the best way to ensure good practice is followed and that the building or its occupants are not put at unnecessary risk.
Review your evacuation plan A risk assessment should recommend a bespoke evacuation plan based on the dependency of your building’s occupants. This should consider the specific people at risk, where they are in the building, the risks that cannot be removed or reduced any further, and the size and layout of the building. For example, there is a significant risk
As the needs and vulnerabilities of care home residents can change quickly, evacuation plans should be reviewed on a regular basis
to life posed by vulnerable residents while they sleep, creating challenges around the time taken to evacuate. Some residents may need assistance to exit the building, while others will be able to escape entirely unaided. In all premises, the guiding principle
should be keep it simple, aimed at ensuring that all persons likely to be in the building will correctly follow the chosen procedure. The simplest suitable option here is single-stage evacuation, sometimes termed ‘one out – all out’. However, in larger care homes, the
single stage system might be deemed too disruptive. If adequate escape provision is available, especially via at least two separate staircases, it may be preferable to introduce a staged evacuation process. As the needs and vulnerabilities of
care home residents can change quickly,
evacuation plans should be reviewed on a regular basis. Fire drills at suitable intervals will also help to flag any potential difficulties and should be followed by feedback to all staff via internal message systems and to responders/fire marshals, in order to improve processes in future.
Install sprinklers A sprinkler system is strongly recommended for buildings where occupants are vulnerable and may require more time to exit, as they increase the time available for evacuation. Sprinklers are highly effective. In fact, the National Fire Chief Council
found that, in incidents in both non- residential and residential buildings, sprinklers work as intended in 94 per cent of cases and control or extinguish fires in 99 per cent of cases.
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www.thecarehomeenvironment.com • October 2021
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