Care homes are subject to strict fire safety requirements as residents require assistance to evacuate the property in the event of a fire. A fire risk assessment for a care home contains specific areas that need to be assessed.
Sleeping Occupants and Evacuation
The assessment of your strategy for evacuation of residents who cannot evacuate themselves. This will include the creation of Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPs) for all residents and the training of staff to complete evacuation of all residents in the event of an emergency.
Protected Escape Routes and Fire Doors
All corridors and stairways must always be clear of obstruction to be used as an escape route from your care home. All fire doors must also always close fully and latch.
Staff Training and Warden Responsibilities
Staff must also be able to respond to a fire during a night time call. All staff are expected to be fully involved in fire safety with regular fire drills conducted and expected to identify how they can assist in the evacuation of residents should there be an incident.
High-Risk Areas to Watch
The laundry room, and areas where mobility-aid chargers are located such as for powered wheelchairs and scooters, using lithium-ion batteries are typically high-risk areas. These should be charged in designated areas supervised by staff and ideally located outside of escape routes.
How Often to Review
A fire risk assessment for a care home should be carried out annually, or more frequently if there are any changes to the building, the layout of the premises or the degree to which residents require care and support.
There is more on Fire Risk Assessment Northamptonshire at https://isefireproducts.co.uk/fire-risk-assessments/northamptonshire/.
By keeping your fire risk assessment up-to-date, you will be demonstrating your care home’s commitment to fire safety.