Fire safety plays a crucial role and needs to be considered a top priority in residential and care homes. Vulnerable people who are in need of constant care may be incapable of evacuating a building as efficiently as others. There are several factors to consider ensuring that everyone leaves the building in a safe and timely manner.
Fire Risk Assessments
The law requires that a full risk assessment is conducted for the premises to ensure the safety of the residents and staff of the care home. Employees are expected to keep up to date and well informed at all times with regards to fire hazards and risks. Its crucial for staff to acknowledge and inform others of any potential dangers that could contribute to a fire outbreak or spread. It is also important for the residents to be well informed and updated on the potential risks and hazards as this will assist with keeping them safe.
Here are a few important steps involved in a fire risk assessment:
Hazard Identification
A thorough analysis should be conducted to observe and identify all potential fire risks and hazards within the premises. Thereafter, it is important to communicate the potential fire risks to staff and residents. The manufacturer’s information should also be disclosed to have a full understanding and cover all bases. Once attaining all important information, it becomes clear to identify which risks and hazards are most prominent.
Recognize High Risk Occupants
Another important factor to consider is the safety of particular residents during evacuation. Vacating the premises needs to be conducted in a safe, timely manner whilst ensuring that a specific speed of evacuation is conducted.
Determine Necessary Precautions
Once fire hazards have been identified and all residents have been assessed in accordance with the risk factor, safety measures must be considered and strategized. A common example in care homes would be residents with an eyesight problem – they will require assistance from trained personnel in the case of an evacuation. Another example would be residents experiencing hearing impairment – they will have to alerted of a fire hazard differently, in the form of a sight-only alarm. Residents in a wheelchair also require just as much assistance in the event of an evacuation as they require someone trained in handling and moving of patients as well as fire safety.
Document Your Findings
It is advised to ensure that all findings and results are documented in a logbook. The purpose of keeping records of all findings and results is to allow for reviews at a later date to ensure that the facility is fully compliant with the fire safety law.
Update and Review Accordingly
Residents, staff, and equipment come and go; hence, your fire safety arrangements will also change accordingly to accommodate the current circumstance. This procedure ensures that all individuals within the facility are well informed, preparing them for a new fire risk assessment as and when it is required.
Passive Fire Protection and Prevention
It is extremely important for any organization to go above and beyond to prevent a fire from breaking out on premises. It is also crucial that should a fire break out, passive fire protection measures are upheld to prevent the fire from rapidly spreading. This precaution will allow occupants enough time to evacuate the building. Here are a few passive fire safety methods:
- The installation of compliant fire doors
- The installation of compliant fire-rated glass
- Closing all openings that surround cables, pipes, and beams
- Sealing gaps between walls and floors or ceilings and walls
- Filling holes created by the removal of components
Other methods of fire prevention include:
Efficient Housekeeping
Waste (including hazardous materials) should be responsibly and safely removed from the premises. Hazardous spillages should also be promptly cleaned to avoid the potential outbreak of a fire. It is also recommended that hazardous chemicals, solutions, and materials be stored responsibly and safely in a suitable location.
Safe Practices and Rules
Kitchen staff need to work responsibly and safely, this includes restricting residents from entering the kitchen. This eliminates the possibility of a vulnerable person coming into contact with hot surfaces, flammable liquids, naked flames or hazardous materials. Manufacturers’ instructions regarding the use of all appliances should also be adhered to.
Practical Layouts
Laundry rooms, chemical storage and kitchens pose a fire hazard in any premises and need to be a safe distance apart from each other. For instance, the chemical storage room shouldn’t neighbor the kitchen area. Fire escape routes, bedrooms and communal areas also shouldn’t be situated in close proximity of high-risk rooms as mentioned above.
Smoke and Fire Alarms
Care home residents may experience difficulty in seeing or hearing a fire alarm, or even activating one should they discover smoke or a fire. Therefore, the requirements and needs of residents within the care home will influence the type of detection and alarm system that needs to be installed.
Compass Visual Security offers a variety of fire detection and fire alarm products suitable for many requirements and offers peace of mind. Here are a few guidelines when considering fire detection and fire alarm products:
An installed manual call point nearby every exit and on each floor – Staff and residents need to be informed of the sight and sound of the alarm, so they are aware when it is activated. They need to also be trained on how to activate them in the event of a smoke or fire emergency.
Various alarms should be considered – Visual alarms are most suitable for hearing impaired or deaf residents. In some cases where the prevention of panic is critical, silent alarms that notify the staff only would be best suited. This also aids in conducting a calm evacuation.
Efficient warning systems to alert everyone on the premises – The recommended decibel for an efficient alarm sounder is 75dBA. However, should the concern for creating a panic arise, the advised decibel for the premises in 45dBA.
Easily accessible fire alarm call points – These points should be installed at a reasonable height of approximately 1.4 meters. There should also be a distance of no more than 45 meters apart.
Care Homes Must Be Fitted with Fire Alarms
Fire and smoke detectors should be installed in all rooms and areas throughout the premises of the care home. This includes:
- Laundry rooms
- Boiler rooms
- Bedrooms
- Roof voids
- Communal areas
- Kitchens
Low fire risk areas such as stairways, lobbies and small cupboards do not require fire detectors. Heat detectors are also a preferred alternative to smoke detectors as it reduces false alarms, such as steam from shower rooms. Fire alarm systems installed in care homes need to be tested on a weekly basis and detection systems should be tested monthly.
Fire Evacuation Procedure
Every organization needs to have a fire evacuation procedure to adhere to, especially to accommodate for those who are most vulnerable. Designated fire wardens assist in escorting residents and staff members, ensuring a calm and safe evacuation. Fire evacuation procedures should include, but not be limited to:
- Ensure that all staff are well informed, trained and have received fire training
- Keep fire escape routes and fire exits free and clear at all times
- Keep an emergency box containing all important and relevant information about residents and staff
- Clear signage and fully functional emergency lighting
- Create a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP) explaining the evacuation process to be followed by a vulnerable person
- Ensure that there’s an adequate amount of fire extinguishers installed and easily accessible throughout the premises. This equipment should only be operated by trained individuals
- Conduct fire drills timeously and at least once a year.
Compass Visual Security commits to distributing superior quality fire detection and fire suppression products to a range of clients specializing in fire safety installation procedures. Visit our range of fire products on https://compasssecurity.co.za/product-category/fire-products/ and fire suppression products on https://compasssecurity.co.za/product-category/suppression-products/