Fire safety should be a key consideration in any building or dwelling with permanent residents. This sentiment is particularly true in care homes, where residents will have additional health needs and often poor mobility, making them especially vulnerable and therefore reliant on effective systems, well-trained staff and robust protocols in the event of an emergency. It is no exaggeration to say that even the most minor fire safety slip-up can have life-threatening consequences within a care home environment.

There are a number of components required to create and implement a suitable fire safety strategy within care homes, including fire doors which contain fire and smoke, secure escape routes, and provide essential time for evacuation and emergency services attention. This guide explores the legal framework around such a strategy, offering practical steps to ensure fire safety and the suitable provision of fire doors in care homes. 

What Does The Law Say?

Fire safety and fire doors in care homes are governed by strict regulations, put in place to protect both vulnerable residents as well as staff and visitors. Two key pieces of legislation inform these rules – the Care Homes Regulations Act 2001 and the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.

Care Homes Regulations Act 2001

The Care Homes Regulations Act outlines the fundamental safety requirements for care homes specifically. While this piece of legislation covers all areas of care home safety, it also outlines rules specifically regarding fire prevention and stipulates that all care homes are legally required to have adequate fire safety measures in place. Central to this requirement is the need to maintain both active and passive fire protection systems, such as fire alarms, fire extinguishers and fire doors.

Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005

The non-sector-specific Fire Safety Order goes further by legally obligating care home operators to appoint a Responsible Person. This individual, typically though not always the care home manager, is tasked with ensuring compliance with all fire safety regulations. Under the Fire Safety Order, care homes must maintain fire doors to a suitable standard, ensure appropriate compartmentalisation across the building, and conduct regular fire risk assessments to identify and mitigate possible hazards. 

Penalties For Non-Compliance

Failing to comply with the relevant fire safety regulations for care homes can have severe consequences. The financial penalties for non-compliance are substantial, with no upper limit to the fines that can be imposed. As a care home operator or Responsible Person, you may also face legal prosecution if negligence leads to injury or loss of life.

Beyond the legal and financial repercussions, failure to ensure fire safety in care homes can also lead to reputational damage. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) may act in severe cases of non-compliance and has the authority to issue warnings, restrict operations, or even close care homes that fail to demonstrate adequate fire safety standards.

Steps To Ensure Fire Safety In Care Homes

With risk to life coupled with such strict repercussions should you fail to prioritise fire safety in care homes, those responsible must take immediate steps to put appropriate fire protection and prevention measures in place. While the exact approach you take will depend on the nuances of your building and residents, implementing a multi-faceted fire safety strategy combining the following steps should be a priority.

Maintain An Up-To-Date Fire Risk Assessment

The first step in care home fire safety should always be to maintain an up-to-date fire risk assessment which offers a detailed evaluation of all potential fire hazards within a building. 

Your fire risk assessment should always be underpinned by a thorough understanding of the building compartmentation – the process of dividing your space up into fire-resistant sections with fire doors and other fire stopping methods to slow the spread of fire and smoke. Regularly reviewing and updating the fire risk assessment ensures that any changes in the layout of the care home are accounted for and any risks can be addressed swiftly. 

Regular Fire Door Surveys

As per the relevant legislation, appropriate passive fire protection systems must be in place throughout the building. One such system is fire doors, which play a central role in preventing the spread of fire and smoke but can only function effectively if they are in good condition. 

By utilising a suitably qualified company to conduct a regular fire door survey throughout the care home, you can check for any issues with each individual door and therefore be informed when it comes to the steps you need to take to address any problems identified. 

Fire Door Maintenance

As per the Fire Safety Order, it is not enough to simply install and survey fire doors in care homes – they must also be appropriately maintained. Even minor damage, such as cracks or missing seals, can compromise a door’s ability to contain fire. Therefore, when issues are identified in a fire door survey or noticed by staff or residents, it is crucial to act immediately and carry out maintenance work to a compliant standard. 

The frequency at which maintenance needs to be conducted on fire doors in care homes will vary between home, corridor and room. High-use doors such as entrance or exit doors may be subject to more frequent use and therefore be more vulnerable to wear and tear. The most important thing is that you act on issues as soon as they arise.

Sufficient Active Fire Protection

Alongside passive fire protection, care homes must also invest in sufficient active fire protection systems such as alarms, smoke detectors and fire blankets. These measures will work in tandem with your passive systems to provide comprehensive protection in the event of an emergency. Regular testing and maintenance is also required to ensure your active fire protection is functional at all times. 

Schedule Staff Training & Improve Resident Awareness

Staff training and resident awareness are also equally important components of fire safety in care homes. Staff should be well-versed in evacuation procedures and the operation of fire safety systems, and understand any additional responsibilities they may have as appointed Fire Wardens or the Responsible Person. Meanwhile, residents should be informed about fire safety rules, including the importance of not tampering with or propping open fire doors, and know exactly what the building evacuation policy requires them to do in the event of an emergency. 

Your Next Steps

With lengthy steps to complete, it is always advisable to work alongside trusted professionals as you strive to improve fire safety and guarantee the provision of suitable fire doors in care homes. From the initial fire door survey all the way through to the individual repairs required for each door, assistance from the right experts can give you peace of mind that you are abiding by both your legal and moral responsibilities for fire safety in a care home environment.

With over a decade of accredited experience, WGP Maintenance holds the expertise you need to manage your care home fire doors appropriately. From carrying out surveys to new installations and completing maintenance, our team can aid you in carrying out your crucial safety responsibilities – get in touch today to find out more.