The Fitz-George Consultancy
Fire Risk Assessment for
Residential Care Homes
XX 200x
Page 1 of 31
Executive Summary
The main areas of concern that have become apparent as a result of this fire risk
assessment and that are in need of prompt attention are: 1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
These important points along with all other matters in need of action with respect to fire
safety will be explained in much greater detail within the report itself.
Page 2 of 31
Contents
1.
Background .................................................................................................................................... 5
2.
Fire Risk Assessment ..................................................................................................................... 6
2.1
Premises Overview .................................................................................................................. 6
2.2
Fire Hazards & Ignition Sources.............................................................................................. 7
2.2.1 Summary of Significant Findings ................................................................................... 10
2.3
People at Risk ........................................................................................................................ 10
2.4
Control Measures ................................................................................................................... 12
2.4.1 Detection and Warning ................................................................................................... 12
2.4.2 Fire Fighting.................................................................................................................... 14
2.4.3 Escape Routes and Evacuation Arrangements ................................................................ 16
2.4.4 Housekeeping .................................................................................................................. 19
2.4.5 Emergency Lighting........................................................................................................ 19
2.4.6 Signs and Notices ............................................................................................................ 21
3.
2.5
Maintenance and Other Risks ................................................................................................ 22
2.6
Information Instruction and Training..................................................................................... 24
2.7
Records .................................................................................................................................. 25
2.8
Review ................................................................................................................................... 26
Action plan ................................................................................................................................... 27
Appendix A – Fire Compartmentation Review .............................................................................. 30
Note. The full manual on which this fire risk assessment is based and which gives clear
instructions on how to do it, can be downloaded free of charge at the following link: http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/fire/firesafetyrisk5
Page 3 of 31
READ THIS FIRST
Note. Only an individual with a reasonable understanding of fire safety should do this fire
risk assessment. Those without any core fire safety knowledge should seek some form of
instruction on the principles of fire safety and fire risk assessment and many local fire
authorities run such courses for businesses at reasonable, or sometimes no expense.
The above fire safety instruction can and ideally should be done by homes’ owners, to
ensure that the knowledge and expertise on fire safety is always available at the site.
If this is not desired or possible, competent and qualified providers such as The Fire
Protection Association run courses and produce specific literature on fire safety in care
homes and these details can be found at the following web site: - http://www.thefpa.co.uk/.
If professional help is required, a register of qualified assessors can be found on The
Institution of Fire Engineers web site at the following address: - http://www.ife.org.uk/frr/.
All completed fire risk assessments should be shown to your local fire authority on
completion to ensure that all appropriate areas have been covered and suitable measures
have been taken to protect clients, staff and the business.
Note that the completion of a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment is not only a legal
obligation, but will in all probability be a mandatory duty in the insurer’s terms and
conditions clauses of your current insurance policy.
Other Useful Websites
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the UK’s main governmental organisation for
health and safety: - http://www.hse.gov.uk/index.htm
The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), the UK’s leading safety
organisation for safety professionals: - http://www.iosh.co.uk/index.cfm?go=home.main
Page 4 of 31
1.
Background
On the XX 2008, NAME undertook a full fire safety risk assessment at xx. The
establishment provides living, sleeping and eating facilities for up to XX service users. The
premises are owned by xx and managed and staffed by xx.
The purpose of this assessment was to identify significant fire hazards within the premises
and highlight any areas for immediate or long-term improvement. An action plan with
timescales is attached to assist in the prioritisation of any such actions (also see priority
ratings below). This assessment replicates the requirements made in the appropriate
Regulatory Reform Manual, ‘Fire Risk Assessment, residential care premises’ issued by
HM Government.
The observations and any recommendations made are only pertinent to the conditions
found at the time of the assessment or review. Regular inspections and risk assessment
reviews are required to ensure that appropriate standards are maintained. Please note that
any checks made of compartment integrity under false ceiling areas or in roof voids, will be
specifically detailed in this assessment. If this has not been possible due to the ceiling or
roof voids’ construction, a statement will be made in the report to this effect and inspection
of these areas may have to wait until substantial maintenance or repair works are next
carried out.
Wherever a recommendation has been made within this risk assessment, a priority rating
has been assigned which translates as: -
Priority Ratings
0
No action required
1
Urgent – Complete within 1 week of assessment date
2
Complete within 1 month of assessment date
3
Complete within 3 months of assessment date
4
Complete within 6 months of assessment date
5
Complete within 12 months of assessment date
RRO Care Home Online Version 1, July 2009.
Page 5 of 31
2.
Fire Risk Assessment
2.1
Premises Overview
This section provides information on the premises and its current use. Note. Technical
drawings of the premises may also accompany this fire risk assessment in order to understand its layout, size
and room locations. There may also be a document showing photographs taken at the site during the
assessment that pinpoints particular issues.
Name & address of
premises
Note. Does the site have a completion
certificate from the local authority Building
Inspector (new buildings)
Type of premises
Owned by
Managed by
Designated person
Premises used out of
normal office hours?
Yes
Type of structure
Number of lift shafts
0
Use of premises
Use
Offices
Sleeping accommodation
Living / lounge areas
Internal smoking areas
Industrial kitchens
Kitchenettes
Manufacturing processes
Workshops
Hot work e.g. welding
Flammable substance storage
Other:
Total number of people
A breakdown of the total number
of people employed and / or
staying at the premises
Occupancy profile
Maximum number of persons in
the most highly occupied
compartment or area of the
premises at a given time
Yes
✓
x employees (shift workers and day staff)
x service users
Total
Monday - Friday
0000 - 0400
0400 - 0800
0800 - 1200
1200 - 1600
1600 - 2000
2000 - 2400
Page 6 of 31
Saturday - Sunday
0000 - 0400
0400 - 0800
0800 - 1200
1200 - 1600
1600 - 2000
2000 - 2400
No
2.2
Fire Hazards & Ignition Sources
The premises have been divided up into the following locations. Any fuel and ignition
sources are then identified within rooms or areas in order to gain an understanding of the
likelihood of a fire starting.
This section corresponds to ‘Identify fire hazards’, in Step 1 of the RRO Manual with fuel
and ignition sources being categorised below. Oxygen sources as the manual states,
‘comprises of natural airflow through doors windows and other openings; or mechanical air
conditioning systems and air handling systems’ and these are mentioned where present.
Other sources of oxygen may include oxidising materials and oxygen cylinders, again as
per the RRO manual, and these will be identified in this section where and if found.
Note. Augment and delete the details below to mirror the configuration of your care home
GROUND FLOOR
Room / area
 All bedrooms
 Main kitchen and kitchenettes in
accommodation areas














Reception office
Staff room/Handover room
Visitors’ room
Medical room
Entertainment/Activities room
Laundry room
Lounges
Bathrooms
WCs
Smoking room
Corridors
Main dining areas
Hairdresser’s room
Other rooms


















Fuel source(s)
Clothing
Bed linen
Furnishings
Curtains
Clients’ personal
electrical equipment
Wiring
Cooking oil
Gas
Foods
Kitchen appliances
Wiring
Paper
Furnishings
Wall hangings (e.g.
curtains, leaflet
holders, pictures).
Clothing
TV, computers,
washing machines
and other electrical
equipment
Flammable
products in
cleaners’
cupboards, medical
or hairdressers’
rooms
Wiring
Page 7 of 31
Ignition source(s)
 Faulty electrical
equipment or wiring
 Unauthorised
smoking
 Arson
 Faulty hobs, cookers
or fryers
 Faulty electrical
equipment or wiring
 Unauthorised smoking
 Smoking materials
 Faulty electrical
equipment or wiring
 Unauthorised
smoking
 Arson
 Internal electrical distribution
cupboard and main exterior
electrical incomer and distribution
board
 Main gas incomer
 Exterior garden sheds
 Boiler Room (Internal or External)
 Small additional internal boiler
 Garden area
 External store rooms
 Bin Areas including any skips
present
 Miscellaneous
combustibles
(wood, paper,
rubbish etc.).
 Decorating
materials
 Gas, oil, electricity
 White spirit and/or
discarded cooking
oil
 Gas, electricity
 Garden refuse
including leaf
accumulations
 Garden sheds and
contents
 Substances given
off by faults in
battery rooms
 Wiring
 Faulty electrical
equipment or wiring
 Faulty gas boilers
 Arson
 Fireworks (seasonal)
 Smoking
 Sparking from tool or
object striking hard
surface (if gas
present)
FIRST FLOOR
Room / area
 All Bedrooms







Bathrooms
WC’s
Lounges
Hairdresser’s room
Kitchenettes
Storage cupboards
Corridors










Fuel source(s)
Clothing
Bed linen
Furnishings
Curtains
Clients’ personal
electrical equipment
Wiring
Furniture
Curtains
TVs, computers,
other electrical
equipment
Flammable
products
Ignition source(s)
 Faulty electrical
equipment or wiring
Unauthorised
smoking
 Arson
 Faulty electrical
equipment or wiring
 Unauthorised
smoking
 Arson
Note. Furniture and soft furnishings at this home are purchased on the basis that they are
of a suitable BS fire retardant standard.
Qualify. Delete the above statement and this advisory if you cannot comply with its
condition. By having furnishings that are not fire retardant, you risk the chance of a fire
that does occur spreading more quickly.
Page 8 of 31
Other Areas
Room / area




Pitched roof voids
Flat roofs
Lift shafts and rooms
Under ceiling voids (false ceilings)
Fuel source(s)
 Wooden beams
and joists
 Roof surface
coverings, e.g. tar
paper and wooden
clapperboard
facings
 Items stored in roof
voids without
authorisation, e.g.
paper, cardboard
 Lubricants and oils
used for lift
machinery
maintenance
 Wiring
 Electrical
equipment
 Lift décor and facia
Ignition source(s)
 Electrical motor or
wiring fault
 Defective kitchen
extraction system
 Defective lightening
protection
 Unauthorised
smoking
Substantial quantities of oxidising materials, oxygen cylinders or any
other hazardous material found at the site?
Room / area
Fuel source(s)
Ignition source(s)
Some abbreviations used in this document: ‘The Fire Safety Order’ – The regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2205
‘RRO Manual’ – The appropriate guidance manual for this type of premises
‘Approved Document B’ – The building Regulations 2000 covering Fire Safety
‘BS’ - British Standards’ technical guidance documents
Page 9 of 31
2.2.1 Summary of Significant Findings


Smoking materials (accidental fire
started by elderly client)
Boilers and heaters
Electrical appliances and wiring (if
faulty)
Cooking processes, e.g. hobs and
cookers (if cooking equipment faulty)
Arson





Sleeping accommodation
Smoking room
Kitchens
Boiler room
Main electrical and gas incomers


Main ignition sources
Based on use of premises and occupancy profile

High risk area(s)
Based on use of premises, occupancy profile and
findings during assessment
SECTION RECOMMENDATIONS
Ref
2.3
Recommendation(s)
Priority
People at Risk
The following people have been identified as regular users of the premises and as such are
likely to be at risk in the event of a fire occurring.
This section corresponds to Step 2 of Figure 1 in the RRO Manual, ‘Identify people at
risk’. (copy and paste the ✓ symbol into the appropriate yes/no column)
Type of people
Employees
Yes
No
✓
Agency staff
Visitors / guests
Page 10 of 31
Comments
Cleaning staff
Contractors
Anyone with hearing impairment
Anyone with visual impairment
Service user - older people
Service users ‘higher risk
considerations’.
What is the population type at this
establishment? If it is simply older clientele
with conditions normally associated with old
age, then the risk level will be that
associated with an average residential care
home. However, if there are a large
number of wheelchair or dementia sufferers
at the site, then the site’s risk level will be
higher, which will adversely affect such
things as evacuation times and travel
distances. Is there a higher than normal
chance of an arson incident occurring at the
site due to the age and nature of its
clientele? If either of these factors or others
not mentioned here are present, then due
consideration will have to be made of this in
appropriate areas of the risk assessment.
Are users with poor mobility
accommodated on the ground
floor?
Service user - children
Service user - mental health
Service user - learning difficulty
Service user - physical disability
Others, e.g. security staff
Trespassers
SECTION RECOMMENDATIONS
Ref
Recommendations
Priority
Step 3 of Table 1 in the RRO Manual
Page 11 of 31
Sections 2.4 through 2.5 below, covers Step 3 of Figure 1 in the RRO manual requiring the
controller of the workplace to ‘Evaluate, remove, reduce, and protect from risk’. It
includes appropriate evaluation of the risks of a fire occurring, the risks to people from fire,
action needed to remove or reduce fire hazards and action needed to remove or reduce the
risks to people.
2.4
Control Measures
2.4.1 Detection and Warning
All premises must have fire detection and warning systems fitted and there are few if any
exceptions to this. The system should incorporate fire detection devices, a control panel,
audible and / or visual alarms and manually operated break-glass boxes as a means of
ensuring the early detection of fire and safe and prompt escape of a site’s inhabitants. The
majority of detectors at care homes should be smoke type, the principle being that these
give the quickest detection and alarm activation time in the event of any fire starting. Heat
detectors should be used in areas where smoke detectors would result in false alarms. An
L1, detection system throughout premises should be used at care homes to give the
quickest possible alert of a fire condition. The following system exists within this particular
premises: -
System model
Control panel location(s)
System maintained by
System Category, e.g. L1
Note. For reference BS5839-1 stipulation’s state
that in an L1 system all areas need to be covered
save for the following: f) In a Category L1 or P1 system, automatic fire
detectors should be installed in all rooms and
areas of the building, but the following rooms or
areas need not be protected if they are of low fire
risk (see 3.31):
— toilets, shower rooms and bathrooms;
NOTE 7 In some public buildings, such as hospitals and
shopping centres, toilets might not be of low fire risk, owing to
the potential for arson.
— stairway lobbies" and toilet lobbies;
— small cupboards (typically, less than 1 m 2);
NOTE 8 A riser in which there is a fire resisting floor and
ceiling may be treated as a cupboard.
Note. An L1 system is the usual model fitted at care
homes and this is in line with the recommendations
made in BS5819-1, Section 2, sub-section 8.1.2
which states the following: An L1 system might be appropriate in buildings in
Page 12 of 31
which there is a significant number of occupants
at special risk in the event of fire (e.g. hospitals
and certain residential care premises), or in
which, throughout the building, structural fire
precautions are not of as high a standard as
normally specified for buildings of that type.
Is this acceptable for the risks present?
Smoke
Heat
Flame
Audible siren/bells
Visual strobe / flashing light
Vibrating pad
Pager (allows for delayed alarm)
Water sprinkler
CO2 suppression
Foam suppression
Type(s) of automatic fire detection
Type(s) of automatic fire warning
Type(s) of automatic fire fighting
Do main kitchens have appropriate fire
detection and damper systems within
their extract systems and are extract
fans interlocked with the main detection
system and turn off in the event of a fire
alert?
✓
*Heavy-duty cooker installations in main kitchens may have flame
detection and smoke detection within ducting runs. They may/will
also have fire damper capability inherent in their construction.
* (Erase if not applicable or format black if it is)
Are any fire alarm zones within the site
greater than 2000m2 and if so, does the
site have an addressable fire panel?
Note. If the site has only a simple single zones fire
panel then no single zone should exceed 2000m 2 as
per BS5839-1: 13.2.3 Additional recommendations
applicable to detection zones that contain
non-addressable automatic fire detectors
The following recommendations are applicable.
a) The floor area of a single zone should not
exceed 2000 m2.
b) The search distance (the distance that has to be
travelled by anyone responding to a fire alarm signal after
entry to the zone in order for the location of the fire to be
determined visually, see 3.50) should not exceed 60 m.
Are there any large voids in pitched
roofs or are there flat roof ceiling voids
over 800mm and if so has detection
been fitted within them?
Page 13 of 31
Does the alarm system have a back-up
battery?
Is there an audible alarm in the boiler
room?
Can the alarm be heard clearly in all
parts of the site?
e.g. 65dBA or 5dBA above persistent
background noise levels, 75dBA at the
bedheads (45dBA throughout high
dependant premises permissible).
All manual call points within 45m
distance?
Note. The requirement for call points at 25m
intervals is in all probability not feasible at care
homes, as though the majority of persons at these
sites are of limited mobility, their mental state is
such that they are unlikely to fulfil the following
criteria in BS5839-1, that; ‘it can reasonably be
anticipated that one of these occupants will be the
appropriate person to first operate the fire alarm
system in the event of fire’.
Date of last weekly system (bell) test?
Has it been done within the last 7 days?
Is a different call point used (in rotation)
for the test?
Date of last service (must be within last
six months as per BS5839-1)
Records up to date
SECTION RECOMMENDATIONS
Ref
Recommendations
Priority
2.4.2 Fire Fighting
All premises must have appropriate first aid fire fighting equipment provided for use in a fire
emergency. This can be used if, for example, an exit is blocked due to fire and escape
needs to be made via it, or if a fire starts that is small enough to be tackled and put out by
trained staff as long as it is safe for them to do so and before it can get larger. Equipment
should be provided at strategic points around the building (usually by fire exits or in high
risk areas e.g. kitchens or boiler rooms) and should be safe to use and suitable for the type
of fire it is to be used on (e.g. Class ‘A’ for organic/paper type fires). It must also be
properly maintained to appropriate BS standards. Note that a recent article in Fire
Page 14 of 31
Engineering stated that 80% of fires are put out using first aid fire-fighting equipment; its
proper provision is therefore a prudent (and legal) measure at your site. Premises with
sprinkler systems must ensure that to avoid any sprinkler systems’ failures, the appropriate
testing regimes per BS standards are carried out. The following equipment exists within
these particular premises:








Types of equipment
Water
Carbon dioxide
Dry powder
Foam
Class F
Hose Reels
Fire blankets
Sprinklers
Location(s)
Portable Fire Fighting Equipment
maintained by: Date of last service (annual as per
BS5306-3: 2003)
Records up to date
Date of last sprinkler system service (if
present). A service must have been
done within the last year as per BS
Standards, BS9251: 2005. Areas that
need not be covered by sprinklers
include: 5.2.3 Extent of sprinkler protection
Sprinkler protection should be provided in all parts
of the dwelling, with the permitted exception
of: bathrooms with a floor area of less than 5 m2;
cupboards and pantries with a floor area of less
than 2 m2 and where the least dimension does not
exceed 1 m and the walls and ceilings are covered
with non-combustible or limited-combustible
materials; non communicating, attached buildings
such as garages, boiler houses, etc.; crawl spaces.
NOTE 1 “Non communicating” means separated from the
protected premises by a 30 min fire resisting construction in
accordance with BS 476 or equivalent European Standard.
NOTE 2 Certain authorities may require 60 min fire resisting
construction.
NOTE 3 Lift shafts are not excluded from protection.
Source: Fire Sprinkler Association
Page 15 of 31
Sprinkler System maintained by: -
Records up to date
SECTION RECOMMENDATIONS
Ref
Recommendations
Priority
2.4.3 Escape Routes and Evacuation Arrangements
All premises must have escape routes and emergency exits that allow persons to quickly
evacuate during a fire emergency either to a place of safety outside and in the open air, or
to reach a place of safety within the site, such as a fire-resisting compartment or refuge
area. This needs to be able to be done within a short period of time, e.g. 2.5 minutes,
depending on the site’s layout and population. This is particularly important where a PHE
or Progressive Horizontal Evacuation system is in use. Escape routes should be protected
from fire for a designated amount of time (at least 30’), and there should be enough exits
provided to enable the safe escape of the site’s entire population at any time. All
emergency exits should be fee from obstruction and be able to be used without the use of a
key.
Adequate evacuation procedures should also be in place, which ensure the prompt and
orderly evacuation of persons within the site to appropriate safe areas.
The table below gives information about the numbers and physical state of fire exits and
escape routes at the site and details about the site’s evacuation systems and procedures:
Main access to building
Page 16 of 31
Alternative means of escape
Travel distances acceptable?
Is compartmentation acceptable for the
layout and size of the premises? Has the
risk level been assessed using available
data to determine what a suitable
‘protected area’s size (see pages 67-69 &
76 of RRO) is?
Is structural integrity of
compartmentation acceptable, e.g. are
there any holes/breaches in
compartment walls, any missing
sections? Are all materials, e.g. glass
on windows or walls within escape
routes, of a correct robustness/fire
resistance throughout compartments’
borders? Note. See Appendix ‘A’ for
compartmentation verification check sheet.
Is the protection of escape routes
acceptable, e.g. doors, windows, door
co-ordinators, magnetic locks, selfclosers, smoke seals?
Have fire-resisting doorsets been
extended under false ceilings to
structural ceiling height?
Do bulkheads within pitched roofs have
fire-resisting doorsets directly below
them to prevent fire spread within a
compartment?
Are lift shafts compartmented or within
a protected enclosure and is there an
appropriate 0.1m2 vent at the top of each
lift well to allow smoke to escape?
Wall and ceiling coverings of escape
routes acceptable, e.g. Class ‘0’?
Are all escape routes free from
obstructions?
Evacuation Arrangements and
Procedures in Case of Fire
Number of daytime staff on duty?
Page 17 of 31
Number of night time staff on duty?
Is there a written fire evacuation
procedure that covers daytime and night
time fire evacuation procedures and is it
reviewed and if necessary updated at
regular intervals (see also Instruction,
Section 2.6)?
Is the current staffing level considered
adequate enough to ensure the safe and
prompt evacuation of service users to a
place of safety within a reasonable time
(2.5 minutes to next protected area as per pages 69
& 70 or RRO)? Consider numbers and mobility of
service users. Note. Progressive horizontal
evacuation of elderly service users or those with
reasoning difficulties is considered the primary
procedure used for evacuation of this type of site by
the fire authority, with evacuation to the outside
considered only if this method is deemed to be
unsafe due to the fire’s size or the way in which it is
spreading.
Are there any employees or service
users who need assistance to evacuate
from the building? e.g. wheelchair
users
If yes, does each one have a written
Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan?
Is there a signing in / out system for
visitors and contractors?
Are contractors and other visitors, e.g.
Social Care or Health Visitors, briefed
on fire evacuation procedures when
they arrive at the site?
Note. These persons should evacuate on
a single stage basis as opposed to the PHE
system used for clients.
Are visitors chaperoned throughout
their visit?
Are external routes to the assembly
point acceptable and do they lead to a
place of safety?
Fire assembly point location(s)
acceptable, e.g. sufficiently far enough
away and in a safe place to prevent
harm to persons from smoke, radiated
heat, fire or any traffic in the area?
Page 18 of 31
SECTION RECOMMENDATIONS
Ref
Recommendations
Priority
2.4.4 Housekeeping
Good housekeeping is an essential part of effective fire safety management and ensures
that unwanted fire load does not build up at a site and that emergency escape routes and
exits are kept clear at all times. The following table describes the standard of
housekeeping found at this site:
Are housekeeping standards
acceptable?
SECTION RECOMMENDATIONS
Ref
Recommendations
Priority
2.4.5 Emergency Lighting
All ‘means of escape’ must be adequately lit to ensure the safe escape of persons from a
place of danger to a place of safety during a fire or other emergency, especially where
there is no natural light available such as in internal rooms or corridors or during the hours
of darkness.
There should be suitable levels of lighting available during an emergency that illuminate an
Page 19 of 31
area to an adequate degree, e.g. BS 5266 Pt 7: 1999 (EN1838) calls for a minimum of 1 lux
anywhere on the centre line of the escape route for normal risks and this should be
measured as being present at the site if there is any doubt that this level is not being
achieved. Note that there does not have to be an individual light for each item in the list
below, the caveat being that the appropriate level of lighting is achieved in the area using
the luminaries present. Installations kite marked EN60598-2-22 are currently compliant.
The following guidance is given in the appropriate RRO manual as to where emergency
lighting should be located: An escape lighting system provided for escape purposes would normally cover the following:
• Each exit door (within 2m);
• Escape routes; • Intersections of corridors;
• Outside each final exit and on external escape routes;
• Emergency escape signs;
• Stairways so that each flight receives adequate light;
• Changes in floor level;
• Windowless rooms and toilet accommodation exceeding 8m2;
• Firefighting equipment; • Fire alarm call points;
• Boiler room
• Equipment that would need to be shutdown in an emergency; • First Aid points
• Lifts; and
• Halls or other areas greater than 60m2.
It is not necessary to provide individual lights (luminaires) for each item above, but there should be a sufficient overall
level of light to allow them to be visible and usable.
It is essential therefore that areas, particularly escape routes and emergency exit doors
(both internally and externally) contain a suitable number of emergency lighting units to
ensure the safe escape of occupants should the site’s main lighting system fail.
Please note that emergency lighting systems must be fully maintained to appropriate British
Standards and inspected at regular intervals according to criteria laid out in these
standards.
A guidance document on emergency lighting systems’ design can be found at the following
link: - http://www.menvier.co.uk/dg_emersystem.html
The following emergency lighting configuration exists within these particular premises: -
Type of system
e.g. maintained, non-maintained,
generator, mixed.
Location(s)
Page 20 of 31
Equipment maintained by
Are emergency lighting units located at
all ‘higher risk’ areas?
Date of last service (must be within last
6 months)?
Records up to date?
SECTION RECOMMENDATIONS
Ref
Recommendations
Priority
2.4.6 Signs and Notices
All safety signs should be easy to see and understand. Signs must be of a pictograph type
and be of a colour specific to their use and meaning e.g. red for prohibitory signs such as
no smoking, green for safe conditions such as a direction of escape in a fire emergency. It
is permissible to provide supplementary information in words or by using additional
pictographs such as arrows, but safety messages consisting of words only are no longer
allowed. The following table comments on the state and adequacy of fire safety signage at
this site:
Do all of the fire safety signs and
notices comply with the Health and
Safety (Signs and Signals) Regulations
1996 and other applicable guidance
documents e.g. BS 5499, the FPA Guide
to Fire Safety Signs?
Are there adequate fire exit signs?
Are “site specific fire action” notices
displayed?
Are there adequate “fire action” notices
(site specific and general)?
Page 21 of 31
SECTION RECOMMENDATIONS
Ref
2.5
Recommendations
Priority
Maintenance and Other Risks
This section is used to highlight maintenance procedures at the site. It is also used to
identify any ‘other risks’ (including special ones) that have not been covered within specific
sections of this fire risk assessment or are considered, due to their high-risk nature, to be
worth reiterating in this section for the sake of clarity and to ensure action is considered.
Are there any acetylene or gas cylinders
at the site (e.g. LPG type)?
Are there any oxygen or other types of
medical gas cylinders at the site?
Information re the safe use of oxygen
cylinders can be found at the following
HSE link: http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/hse8.pdf
Is there a permit to work system in use
at the site and are staff aware of how it
works?
Has appropriate equipment been PAT
tested?
Does the site have lightening protection
and has this been tested?
Note. This system is subject to annual testing and
inspection as detailed and laid down in BS6651.
Has the electrical system been tested in
the last 5 years?
Does the site have gas-fuelled systems
and are they maintained?
Has the main kitchen’s cooker
extraction vent for fat fryer etc been
deep cleaned in the last 3, 6 or 12
months?
Page 22 of 31
The link below may help staff to calculate the
appropriate cleaning schedules for the site: http://www.indepthhygiene.co.uk/1TR19SECTIO
N7.htm
Are the dryers in the laundry room/s lint
traps cleaned/vacuumed weekly?
Are ashtrays emptied into metal-lipped
bins at the end of the day?
Are there any garden sheds or other
structures located close to the main
buildings? If so, is there a chance that
due to their proximity to the site, a fire
within them may spread into the main
building via windows (radiation), via
overhanging roofs (flat or pitched) or by
any other means (e.g. burning brands)?
SECTION RECOMMENDATIONS
Ref
Recommendations
Priority
Step 4 of the RRO – record, plan, inform, instruct and train, and Step 5, Review
Sections 2.6 through 2.8 below, covers Steps 4 and 5 of Figure 1 in the RRO manual
requiring the controller of the workplace to
Step 4:

Record significant findings and action taken

Prepare an emergency plan

Inform and instruct relevant people; co-operate and co-ordinate with others

Evaluate, remove, reduce, and protect from risk’

Provide training
Step 5
Page 23 of 31

Keep assessment under review

Revise where necessary
2.6 Information Instructions and Training
A vital component of effective fire safety management is the provision of adequate
information, instruction and training re fire emergencies to all employees. For example, the
procedures for escaping, contacting the fire service, assisting others in the event of a fire
emergency and dealing with contingencies (e.g. defective sprinkler or detection systems)
must be communicated to all appropriate staff. The current state of these arrangements
and systems at this site, are detailed in the table below:
Is there an established fire emergency
plan as per Section 7.2 of the RRO?
Is the plan written down and available?
If yes, is it appropriate?
Is there appropriate cooperation and
coordination re fire emergency and
evacuation procedures, with any other
undertaking that may be on the site, e.g.
day centres, special needs, mobility for
the elderly organisations?
Are employees familiar with the
evacuation plan?
Try asking someone if they know what to do
Are evacuation drills conducted and
have they so far meet with the standards
outlined and required in Section 2.4.3 of
this document (verify records confirm
drills and optimum 2.5 minute
evacuation time)?
Records up to date?
Have all staff been given suitable
information, instruction and training to
satisfy the requirements for service
users’ evacuation contained in Section
2.4.3 of this document?
Have fire wardens been nominated?
Page 24 of 31
Is there an adequate number?
Have the nominated fire wardens been
given enhanced training (e.g. able to
supervise other, ‘all’ staff as per above)
to satisfy the requirements for service
users’ evacuation contained in Section
2.4.3 of this document?
Have all employees been given a basic
level of fire safety awareness training in
other fire safety matters such as use of
extinguishers, raising the alarm,
identification of fire hazards, procedure
for reporting hazards etc.?
SECTION RECOMMENDATIONS
Ref
2.7
Recommendations
Priority
Records
Suitable, sufficient and up-to-date records are required to show that the site’s fire safety
systems, their maintenance, and appropriate fire safety training and procedures for
personnel have been checked, are being maintained and that they work correctly. A site
fire logbook should be kept and any fire-related incidents, events, drills and maintenance
checks etc. are to be recorded in this. The following documents and records were seen at
these premises (Note. a comment is also made in this section if records documents were
not found to be present):
Type of record
Yes
No
Fire register
Personal emergency egress plans
(PEEP)
Page 25 of 31
Comments
Monthly fire safety inspections
Employee fire safety induction
Employee training records
Are fire records kept for at least
three years for insurance
purposes?
SECTION RECOMMENDATIONS
Ref
2.8
Recommendations
Priority
Review
This risk assessment should be reviewed:






Following any structural or material changes to the premises;
Following a change in the nature of work practices or processes;
Following changes in staff levels or disposition;
Following a sizeable change in the type of clients being accommodated at this site, e.g.
the site moves from a moderate number of immobile and mentally adept clients to a
large number of wheelchair and/or dementia sufferers.
Following a near miss or actual fire;
In any case it is recommended at intervals not exceeding 12 months.
SECTION RECOMMENDATIONS
Ref
Recommendations
Priority
Page 26 of 31
3.
Action plan
Priority Ratings
0
No action required
1
Urgent – Complete within 1 week of assessment date
2
Complete within 1 month of assessment date
3
Complete within 3 months of assessment date
4
Complete within 6 months of assessment date
5
Complete within 12 months of assessment date
Recommendation
Reference No.
Recommendation
Priority
Page 27 of 31
To be Actioned by
Date Completed
Recommendation
Reference No.
Recommendation
Priority
Page 28 of 31
To be Actioned by
Date Completed
Recommendation
Reference No.
Recommendation
Priority
Page 29 of 31
To be Actioned by
Date Completed
Appendix A – Fire Compartmentation Review
Compartmentation Verification Check Sheet (2.4.3)
Compartment’s Compartment’s Number of Compartments’ integrity
Location
length in
Rooms*** satisfactory, Yes? No? If
metres*
no, state why. **
* Measure and verify travel distances within compartments to ensure they are within RRO
limits. Obtain compartment integrity information from any available area e.g. voids, lift
shafts, service ducts.
** Any defective compartments are to be reported to the site’s Fire/Health and Safety
responsible/competent person as soon as possible so that remedial action can be taken.
*** Includes all bedrooms, lounges, dining rooms, miscellaneous rooms, WC’s, sluice
rooms etc., but not small cupboards.
**** Estimated or not measured, as I could not use a laser-measuring device in close
proximity to guests or staff for safety reasons.
Compartment integrity is achieved when there are no holes or gaps in fire resisting walls
and doors and when fire resisting walls or doors dividing compartments, continue up from
these features and through any void (e.g. a ceiling void above a door set or room/corridor
wall) up to the building’s fire-resisting roof bulkhead (one storey building), or floor of the
compartment above (multi-storey building). See Section 4.1, General Principles, paragraph
headed ‘fire resisting construction for further advice.
END OF REPORT
Page 30 of 31
Disclaimer
This document is provided for the use of persons wishing to carry out a fire risk assessment
of care homes and in accordance with the stipulations and caveats in the READ THIS
FIRST statement at the beginning of this document. It is provided free of charge and can
be duplicated an unlimited number of times.
The object of providing this document is to promote awareness of fire hazards in residential
care homes and to encourage best practice with respect to fire safety procedures. The
author hopes that by providing the document in this way that both residents, their families
and staff member’s lives will be saved and injures avoided.
All information published in this document has been gathered from sources, which are
believed to be reliable but the reader and the user should not assume that the information
is official or final. Paul Fitz-George and the Fitz-George Consultancy do not assume
responsibility for errors or incorrect or unqualified use of any or all of the information used
and the information is subject to change without notice. The reader/user must therefore
keep up-to-date with the concepts used via the various web links e.g. the IFE, FPA, IOSH,
HSE that are given in the document to ensure that the latest criteria are applied to the fire
risk assessment’s questions.
Certain programs, projects and links listed here are not operated by nor are they the
responsibility of the Fitz-George Equine Consultancy. Links from these pages to external
Web sites are provided as a service to readers/users and do not constitute an endorsement
by Fitz-George Equine Consultancy, save for the ones to the IFE, FPA, IOSH and HSE.
Note. Don’t forget to update the indexe’s page numbers once you have completed the risk
assessment. This will ensure that the correct page number is shown in the index and
enable you to quickly go to the page number by just clicking on it in the electronic version of
the document. The sequence to do this is: 
Right click on the index table anywhere

Select the ‘update field’ option

Select ‘update page numbers only’

Click on ‘OK’
Your new page numbers will then be shown on both the index and take you to the right
location when you click on them
Any Comments
Comment (and any constructive criticism of course) on this form’s content, is welcomed via
the contact form on the Fitz-George Consulting web site.
Page 31 of 31