A Guide to Fire Alarms for Care Homes
Fire Safety and Care Homes
In this article, we will introduce you to the importance of installing and maintaining a compliant Fire Alarm System in your care home.
We will review everything from who is responsible for the Fire Safety care, to the specific requirements of Fire Wardens and Fire Extinguishers.
It is crucial to first note the importance of fitting the correct Fire Alarm System for your premises, and why care homes in particular, are in need of specific systems.
As an occupancy with at-risk residents, you must install and maintain the correct Fire Alarm System. In this article, we will educate you on the correct category system for your care home.
Who is Responsible for Fire Safety in a Care Home?
Whether you have a dedicated ‘Health and Safety Manager’ or someone in a similar position who is in charge of safeguarding all Fire Safety for your premises, OR are looking to create ‘Responsible Person’ positions within your existing staff, you must assign someone to become responsible for the Fire Safety regulations and regiments within your premises.
In a care home, the care home manager is usually the Responsible Person.
The dedicated Responsible Person must then assign members of staff to become Fire Warden/ Fire Marshalls who will carry out all necessary fire evacuations in the instance of a Fire Alarm sounding.
Fire Safety Assessment for Care Homes
The Responsible Person must carry out a full Fire Risk Assessment on their premises to ensure the safety of those who live and work in the care home.
Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, it is a legal requirement that your property is assessed by a professional. The Fire Risk Assessor will ensure that the building is compliant with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order, the report of which, can then be shown to the Fire Service on arrival, if a fire alarm is sounding, to ensure that you have appropriately safeguarded yourself and those within the premises.
In the case of care homes, a Fire Risk Assessment will be looking for more specific features than a regular office or home assessment. Vulnerable people will need features such as lifts for the physically handicapped, as well as PEEPS and GLEEPS.
By choosing A&E Fire and Security to carry out your Fire Risk Assessment, you are ensuring that you are covered by the expertise of our ex-fire service professionals, whose knowledge of complex premises such as care homes is second-to-none.
Requirements of Fire Wardens and Fire Extinguishers
Wardens/Marshalls
The main requirement for your designated Fire Warden/Marshal is to ensure that they are aware of the fire evacuation, fire strategy and general fire procedures. They are also in charge of ensuring that ALL occupants/staff are evacuated efficiently in the instance that a fire alarm is sounding.
A&E Fire and Security provide incredible Fire Warden/Marshall training all over the UK. As well as Fire Warden/Marshall, we also provide courses specific to Fire Extinguisher training, Managing and Implementing Fire Safety and Fire Awareness Training.
These courses will help cover your Fire Wardens and Responsible Persons in the instance that a fire occurs.
Our professional Fire Trainers also provide bespoke knowledge and training for those in complex premises such as care homes.
Fire Extinguishers
In a care home, both fire extinguishers and fire alarms must be present in multiple locations and must be the correct grade and category for your specific premises.
Every property’s requirements come down to the Fire Risk Assessment. Within the assessment, your expert will advise and supply the exact fire extinguishers that you need.
In most cases, care homes will need a mixture of Class A and Co2 Extinguishers, however, the only way to know exactly what you need will be through your Fire Risk Assessment.
Type of Fire Alarm System The Must Be Fitted in a Care Home
L1 category Fire Alarm Systems are the most common type for care homes. This is because the system provides automatic detection, such as a smoke or heat detector in EVERY room. This can sometimes even include large cupboard spaces.
L1 category systems are Addressable. This means that every detector has its own unique electronic address, meaning you can identify exactly which alarm in which room is sounding. Therefore, you can evacuate occupants as quickly as possible, due to immediate risk-zone detection.
The Importance of Having Fire Alarms in Care Homes
Although implementing a Fire Alarm System is significant in ANY premises, it is even more so in properties such as care homes and other occupancies where inhabitants are under particular restriction, by health impediments etc.
Under circumstances whereby occupants may have difficulty with mobility, mental handicaps, or staff are on inconsistent shifts, the correct Fire Alarm System may be the one thing keeping you from possibly endangering your staff/residents.
Using an Addressable System, especially in premises that are on the larger side, or have complex floor plans, means you are equipped with a Fire Alarm Panel that can recognise and signal exactly which Fire Alarm is sounding, and what room it is in. This means both the staff (even those who do not take regular shifts or are new) can identify where the possible fire is occurring. Moreover, the staff will have more time to remove all residents promptly.
Fire Alarm Maintenance in Care Homes
Maintenance of Fire Alarm Systems in care homes should take place every 12 months. This means an assessment of all call points to identify faults should be high on your priority list.
Throughout the year, it is also important that you regularly check that your devices are all in working order.
If you have any doubts, we suggest reading our article that explains how to check a Fire Alarm device is working.
Please make sure to check your devices at least every 2 weeks!
Free Fire Alarm Installation Safety Survey
At A&E Fire and Security, we provide free Fire Alarm System site surveys. This means we can check out your premises, free of charge, to help recommend the correct Fire Alarm System for your care home.
If you would like to take advantage of our free site survey, please click here. Alternatively, if you have any other queries, we welcome you to contact us or give our experts a call on 01452 712021