Fire Instructions for a Care Home

This presentation provides an overview of fire safety risk assessment and instructions for care homes. It covers the identification of hazards, evaluation of fire risk, implementation of improvements, common causes of fire, awareness level of residents, guidance to evacuation, checklist for fire safety training, and maintenance of fire safety measures. The presentation also discusses fire detection and warning signs. References are provided for further reading.

FIRE INSTRUCTIONS
FOR A CARE HOME

Fire safety risk assessment
Fire safety is an important measure in order to restrain the
occurrence of loss of life and property. The main aim is to
ensure the following aspects:
• To identify the possible hazards and take appropriate actions
to reduce the risk so that the harm that can be caused due to
fire can be reduced. So that damage through it can be reduced
to the minimum.
• To ensure that adequate fire safety measures and management
policies are adopted by the organization. It helps in ensuring
the safety of the residents who are living in the building of
care home.

Fire safety risk assessment process

Evaluation of the risk involved
It is important to evaluate the risk attached to the fire so that
appropriate judgement for adequate amount of fire measures
can be made There are the two main components which are at
risk. They are:
Likelihood of occurrence of fire:
The likelihood of fire may be less if there are fewer sources of
ignition that are available in the care home. Further, keeping
the combustible material away from fire sources can also help
in reducing the likelihood.

Contd..
Potential of fire to cause any death or injury:
There are further different factors which can assess the
potentiality of death of injury such as, if the fire has occurred on
the ground floor causing blockage of routes for the people
staying at first floor of the building. Further, factors such as fire
is the escape space as well blocking the passage, spread in fire
through vertical shafts, ventilators, walls, partitions, ceilings etc.

Implementation of improvements in care
homes
It is important to avoid hazards and plan for potential risk of fire
in the building if it is reasonable and practically possible. The
improvements in the building work can be performed considering
all the fire safety measures and adequate amount of evacuation
doors. Further, replacing the ignition measures from dangerous to
non-dangerous ones so that the event can be avoided. In addition
to this, up gradation in the technological aspects is another
important improvement in the care home.

Contd..
Significant changes in the current furniture, alteration in the
internal layout, avoiding the storage of combustible substances
etc are other measures to be taken by the care homes in order
to avoiding fire. Moreover, the employees in the organization
must have appropriate instruction of how they are going to act
if at any time fire will occur in the building.

Common causes of fire
There are three main causes of fire. They are:
• Ignition sources: Material of smoke such as, matches, lighters
and cigarettes. Some other sources include, cooking
equipment, candles or open flame instruments, electrical
instruments etc.
• Fuel: There are various material that acts as a fuel to fire.
Some of these kinds of elements include, textiles, flammable
liquids such as, white spirits, cooking oil, disposable cigarette
lighters, adhesives etc. It also considers wood, paper,
cardboards, flammable gases such as Liquefied Petroleum Gas
(LPG) which catches fire and tends to aggravate it.

Contd..
• Oxygen: It is the main source which catches fire. It can be due
to natural air flow through, doors, windows, Air conditioners
etc.

Awareness level of the residents
• People in the care home must be aware of how the fire bell
sounds.
• People must know from where they need to rush, that is the
emergency doors, lift or escalators.
• People must be aware of the use of extinguishers and its
placement as well.

When the sound of fire alarm is heard
• All the member must proceed towards fire panel.
• All the kitchen instruments and electronic appliances must be
switched off and then the fire panel must be reported about the
incident.
• A member of the staff must be allocated the duty to inform the
fire service for help.
• Other staff members must be indulged in evacuating the
building from the area which is safe and not harm the
residents.

Guidance to evacuation
There must be certain process through which evacuation can
made by the staff members involved in it. The service will be
provided in the following order:
• People with disabilities
• Older people
• Children
• Women
• Young people

Checklist to fire safety training
• Instruction to use of fire alarm
• To instruct on how to discover fire in the care home
• To make them trained regarding usage and raising of fire
alarm.
• To plan measures in order to reduce the risk
• To progress with evacuation plan.
• To locate escape routes which are not in regular use
• To take adequate precaution in order to reduce the likelihood
of fire.
• To assess and report defects in the fire safety measures.

Maintenance of fire safety measures
Escape routes and doors: The escape routes must be daily walk
through so that any obstacle or any other combustible material
can be removed from there. It must consist of safety signs, self
closing and easy to open type of door must be installed in the
care homes. Further, many of the people living there are disabled
in that case, adequate amount of wheelchairs must also be
available in the care home so that they can also be easily escaped
by the support staff.

Contd..
Keeping a monthly check on whether the systems are working
properly or not. If any maintenance is required then it is to be
done in fastest possible manner. The smoke seals installed in
the escape route must also be in good condition in order to
avoid any issue during crisis.
• Fire warning system: The fire warning system must be
operational indicating that the fire warning alarms are in good
condition. A test key must be inserted once in a week to ensure
is working. The system must be maintained once in a six
months as a preventive maintenance of the device being
installed in the care homes.

Contd..
Portable fire fighting instruments: Visual check of fire
extinguishers time to time, say monthly or fortnight so that there
is no obstacle in its functioning at the time when fire occurs in
the care home. Further annual maintenance must also be initiated
for the same.
Emergency lighting: The light fitting being installed so that it
can be used at the time of emergency must be in the functioning
states. Test method must be used to ascertain its working
condition. The emergency lights must be on if there is no
electricity available in the home. Further, annual maintenance to
it must be ensured for its proper functioning at the time of crisis
in the care home.

Fire detection and warning signs
• Automatic fire detection: It can be done through installing
various types of detectors in the care home. It includes, heat
detectors, smoke detectors, combustion gas detectors, Multi
sensor detectors etc.
• Call Points: Manual call points include, break glass which
helps in operating fire warning system which is normally
positioned at exit doors.
• Warning: Appropriate sound level must be produced by fire
alarms as an indicator to fire. Residents with hearing
impairment must not get aware of fire alarm. Hence, in that
case, visual alarms must also be present in the care homes.

Contd..
• Reducing False alarm: It creates a situation of panic with
unwanted call to fire and rescue service as well. Hence, it must
be investigated and reduced to the minimum to avoid the
hassle situation.
• Replacements of equipments: Maintenance must be initiated
in the care home to ensure that all the equipments that will be
used during fire are in good condition.

References
• Buchanan, A. H. and Abu, A. K., 2017. Structural design for
fire safety. John Wiley & Sons.
• Cowlard, A. and et.al., 2013. Fire safety design for tall
buildings. Procedia Engineering, 62, pp.169-181.
• Bjelland, H. and et.al., 2015. The concepts of safety level and
safety margin: framework for fire safety design of novel
buildings. Fire Technology, 51(2), pp.409-441.
• Purser, D. A. and McAllister, J. L., 2016. Assessment of
hazards to occupants from smoke, toxic gases, and heat. In
SFPE handbook of fire protection engineering (pp. 2308-
2428). Springer New York.