Posted By Frank Smith
The following excerpt from the government guidance, ‘Fire Safety Risk Assessment in Residential Care Premises’ states; (P71)

"Any resident who is initially left in a fire protected bedroom should be accompanied by a carer, as such the total number of residents awaiting evacuation in protected bedrooms should be less than the number of staff on duty".

What are your opinions on this advice, given that the Fire service advise "get out, stay out"?

Posted By Robert K Lewis
Impossible to do with the current financing provide such high staff cover for care.

Given that there is a 50:50 chance at least of a fire at night when staff-resident ratios are unlikely to be better than 1:10 how can a home ever comply. If the door is shut and suitably fire resistant is it not better to leave it closed? At least until the FS arrive.

Bob

Posted By J Knight
Hi Folks,

Yes, impossible, and we won't even be trying to comply. It might work in an environment where the majority of residents are able to walk unaided; very few of ours can walk at all, let alone unaided, and we would never be in a position where every resident would be able to be accompanied 1;1 by a carer.

However, we won't be leaving people behind in protected bedrooms. We will be practising horizontal evacuation, and therefore all our workers will be busy getting people to a place of safety.

At the end of the day the only way to ensure compliance is to go for fire-engineering,

John

Posted By Frank Smith
Thank you for your responses, your views coincide with mine in the main. I will be taking this up with Chief Fire Officers in the regions where we have residential care homes.
I don't know about Scotland, but they are normally well ahead of the rest of us and I would guess they took advice from the Fire Service and used common sense. In my opinion, personal evacuation plans are the best solution, written around the needs and abilities of the people we are caring for.
I will post again if I have any success with the authorities.

Posted By Ken Taylor
In addition to normal (single stage) and progressive horizontal evacuation, the guide has introduced the concept of 'delayed evacuation' for residents with specific care needs that cannot readily be assisted to evacuate. The 'full text' on this is:

[Exceptionally, in some care homes it may be difficult or dangerous (because of medical conditions or treatments) to get all semi-ambulant and non-ambulant residents into an adjoining protected area, or to a refuge during the initial stage of the evacuation. In this situation, the individual bedroom(s) may need to provide a temporary refuge to protect the occupant from a fire elsewhere in the building until they can be taken to a place of total safety, or the danger has passed. This can be done by enclosing the bedroom in an enhanced level of fire-resisting construction (protected bedrooms). A protected bedroom should be of 60 minute fire-resisting construction and the door should be fire-resisting and fitted with a self-closing device. In addition the escape route from the protected bedroom(s) to the adjoining protected areas, refuge or final exit (including any stairway) will also require an increased level of fire protection to allow access for staff to assist with subsequent evacuation from the protected bedroom(s). If necessary the door may be fitted with electromechanical hold-open or free swing devices that operate immediately the fire alarm actuates. If provision of such fire resistance is not possible, you may be able to show through your risk assessment that alternative measures to limit the growth and spread of the fire are appropriate, such as an automatic fire suppression system supported by robust staff response procedures. Any resident who is initially left in a fire protected bedroom should be accompanied by a carer. As such, the total number of residents awaiting evacuation in protected bedrooms should be less than the number of staff on duty. It is imperative that if some less able residents are left in protected bedrooms to await evacuation, then other staff know which rooms have been evacuated and those which still contain residents and where necessary are able to notify the fire and rescue service when they arrive. Arrangements for delayed evacuation should only be based on a pre-planned basis.]

This 'delayed evacuation' should be seen as exceptional (eg for residents connected to life-supporting equipment) and refers to bedrooms with higher than normal (eg 60mins) fire protection. Whilst the FRS will almost certainly have attended and dealt with the situation or affected a rescue within this time, there needs to be a plan for total evacuation if necessary and the responsibility still lies with the responsible person and not the FRS - hence the need for sufficient assistance to be available.

Having the trained and willing staff to achieve this is quite another matter so careful allocation and siting of these bedrooms is essential and realistic consideration needs to be given to engineering measures to achieve evacuation - such as evacuation or fire-fighting lifts.

In no way should 'delayed evacuation' be seen as a substitute for progressive horizontal evacuation.

Posted By Ken Taylor
Thanks, Frank.

I also appreciate the controversy and the potential difficulty in getting carers to remain with residents.

I read the guidance to the effect that if you can use progressive horizontal evacuation you should do so. I also see the dilemma in that the question then arises as to what you do about the person that cannot be evacuated with the assistance of carers. The guidance to provide increased fire protection is welcome but then followed the question for those drafting the guidance of whether you leave them alone or accompanied to await the services of the FRS! Fortunately in practice the FRS are quick to respond with good attendance level in such circumstances and, hopefully will have been advised of persons present.