Fire Safety Risk Assessment Residential Care Premises

[Tom Sutton]

The Additional Guidance for application to HM Government Guide to Fire Safety Risk Assessment Residential Care Premises - Good Practice Guidance does help or hinder the application of the DCLG guide.

http://www.nashics.org/uploads/documents/23641652.pdf

[kurnal]

It brings a dose of common sense to a number of difficult scenarios and confusion inherent in the CLG guidance. However the Care Industry has only itself to blame as they were reportedly refused to get involved with the drafting of the guidance.

Personally I find it a great help as I had been implementing the standards and variations in accordance with the NASHICS guidance in my risk assessments of care homes since the advent of the FSO 2005. It gives me additional security in my interpretations of the guidance.

[Dinnertime Dave]

Personally i think it is a great help. but i have audited 10 care homes in the last month and haven`t met anybody who knows of its existance.

Yesterdays care home had a  risk assessment done by a consultant who failed to notice an inadequate fire warning system, lack of FR doors to bedrooms, holes in walls where services had been extended, poor escape lighting, no mains electrical testing even suggests that visitors will be familiar with the premises and no residents had any disabilities and nobody slept on the premises. Still cross, would love to name him and his company, but clearly cannot. 

 

[AnthonyB]

That's bad, so bad it could be enforceable (certainly in Notts!).

Of course you have to be very careful with names (& hints) but if it was that bad it would hardly be slander or libel!

If nobody 'outs' scandalously poor risk assessors they will continue until someone gets killed or a pro active enforcing officer does the right thing and hauls them over the coals rather than just the RP.

[Tom Sutton]

Thanks guy's it did appear to clarify the DCLG guide but I need confirmation from the sharp end.

[Dinnertime Dave]

Yesterdays care home had a  risk assessment done by a consultant who failed to notice an inadequate fire warning system, lack of FR doors to bedrooms, holes in walls where services had been extended, poor escape lighting, no mains electrical testing even suggests that visitors will be familiar with the premises and no residents had any disabilities and nobody slept on the premises. Still cross, would love to name him and his company, but clearly cannot. 

 

Had an interesting conversation today, the risk assessor telephoned to question why I thought his assessment wasn`t suitable and sufficient and wants to meet to discuss. There was a dull thud when I mentioned the additional guidance and the items above.

However, his best response has to be " I was there to do a fire risk assessment not check for holes in walls and ceilings" and "we`re both on the same side you know" 

 

[nearlythere]

Yesterdays care home had a  risk assessment done by a consultant who failed to notice an inadequate fire warning system, lack of FR doors to bedrooms, holes in walls where services had been extended, poor escape lighting, no mains electrical testing even suggests that visitors will be familiar with the premises and no residents had any disabilities and nobody slept on the premises. Still cross, would love to name him and his company, but clearly cannot.  

 

However, his best response has to be " I was there to do a fire risk assessment not check for holes in walls and ceilings" and "we`re both on the same side you know"  

He clearly does not know what a fire risk assessment is about.
Do I get the feeling that because the building is built to B Regs all he thinks he has to look at is the management of fire safety and how they store their aerosols?
This is very common nowadays where even pest control companies are suddenly offering to do fire risk assessments. What next? Butchers?
It seems that one can be a fire safety expert after attending a 3 or 4 day fire risk assessment course.

[hughmccafferty]

Ye Nearly!
Just like the one who did Rosepark Nursing Home!

[nearlythere]

I would think Rosepark is the tip of the iceberg Hugh. It came to light because of the fire.
There are thousands of Roseparks out there and I have seen many of them.

[colin todd]

You may have seen them Nearly, but Kurnal LIVES in an old persons' home.