Residential care home residents individual fire risk assessment

[The Colonel]

Gents

I have received the following from a health and safety colleague, can anyone shed any light on individual assessments of residents or where more info may be obtained on an incident and coroner recomendations.

"My client has been asked by the fire authority to conduct an individual fire risk assessment for each of their residents.
 
Whilst I have a template for a PEEP, I can?t find one which considers the residential care user behaviour such as smoking, previous history of arson (no, I?m not joking) or other factors ? this is in response to recommendation by the  coroner following a recent incident where a preventable fatality in a care home occurred."

Any pointers or info would be useful

[AnthonyB]

http://www.slideshare.net/GillianMcDonnell/smokers-risk-assessment-form-v-10docxdocx

http://www.rqia.org.uk/cms_resources/RQIA%20Guidance_Smoking_RCH_NH.pdf  (NI)

Anchor Housing Trust was fined ?120,000 + ?50,622 in 2010 costs after a dementia patient died after smoking in their room and starting a fire. Whilst a smoking policy was in place it was not followed and the individual's risk assessment not up to date resulting in inadequate supervision.

[nearlythere]

I once carried out a FRA for a person due to a self harm by fire issue.
I also carried out group FRAs for persons in a shelter housing environment due to varying levels of
smoking risks.

[lyledunn]

I have just finished the inspection and test of the electrical installation in a relatively large care home. The residents have varying degrees of capability but the nursing wing has a substantial number who are bed-ridden or who are severely restricted in their mobility. Many are also confused. I must say that I was mightily impressed by the care that was given by staff. It was that genuine, loving care that is sometimes absent in our box ticking world of caring for our elderly folk. Anyway, no matter what job I am on I am always assessing the fire safety issues. Whilst there were plenty of staff on during the day, I would imagine that there would be much less at night. Physical fire safety measures were apparent in plenty but I cannot see how even day time staff numbers could deal with moving patients even to another nearby compartment in a timely way. So it would be firefighters who would either fight the fire or carry fragile Mrs Murphy away to safety. Is that what the individual risk assessment is for?

[William 29]

Gents

I have received the following from a health and safety colleague, can anyone shed any light on individual assessments of residents or where more info may be obtained on an incident and coroner recomendations.

"My client has been asked by the fire authority to conduct an individual fire risk assessment for each of their residents.
 
Whilst I have a template for a PEEP, I can?t find one which considers the residential care user behaviour such as smoking, previous history of arson (no, I?m not joking) or other factors ? this is in response to recommendation by the  coroner following a recent incident where a preventable fatality in a care home occurred."

Any pointers or info would be useful

Just wondering first of all if this resident FRA could be enforced under the RRO? I haven't seen this on any Notices or action plans? I do have a simple form you can have from a care provider that may help you if you in box me.

[Tom Sutton]

Just wondering first of all if this resident FRA could be enforced under the RRO? I haven't seen this on any Notices or action plans?

Check out http://www.frmjournal.com/news/news_detail.care-home-fined-120k-for-fatal-fire.html?_tkn=23F7682F-AC4C-4136-B487394BAC7FC2C8 it looks like they included the individual FRA as part of the premises FRA.

[Fishy]

I can see why the FRA for the premises may consider the contribution to overall risk posed by each resident, both due to the likelihood that they could cause a fire and their capacity to escape unaided assuming that there is a fire.   This is very different from carrying out an individual RRO fire risk assessment for each resident.