Draft Fire Safety Guide Residential Care

[jayjay]

For information the Scotish Executive have now issued a consultation document, Guide to fire safety in residential care premises for the forthcoming RRO.

First impressions look good, is South of the border expected to issue a similar guide ?

Link to downlodable PDF copy

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2005/11/23133820/38208

[colin todd]

Makes you proud to be Scottish. None of this ODPM crap of all consultations being behind closed doors, with only those and such as those commenting, and the world awash with illicit draft copies. Everyone and anyone is welcome to comment on the Scottish guides. Even Old phillip (where is he these days by the way) will be in his element as they have asked that place in Gloucestershire to comment as a stakeholder. You can even get a summary in a different language just by phoning up and asking. The consutees are very wide, apart from the fact that any member of the public can comment, and includes the Scottish Gypsy Travellers Association ( so they might get comment from wee marky coram-remember him?). And then all the responses will be available for public scrutiny in the Scottish Exec library. Now, Messers Prescott, Jack et al, that IS open government.

[wee brian]

It has a nice front cover but there aren't many pictures in it.

Th stuff upfront looks OK but I am not sure if the advice in the technannex that says "consider upgrade to benchmark standard" is particularly helpful.

Its not always realistic to upgrade buildings, there are other ways to mitigate risk (other than retrofitting sprinklers).

[val]

Seems like a lot of copying has gone on! Easy to formally consult when you have just moved a few deckchairs around. Colin, do I detect a slight sour note...were you not invited to the cosy club? If the writers want some pictures I can arrange copyright transfer for a small fee. (no dodgy scottish notes though).

[colin todd]

Actually, Valerie, far from being sour, I care little either way for your colleagues' guidance documents. Indeed, we declined to tender for writing one. I simply think that its like marriage-you write guidance in unseemly haste and repent at leisure, as I am sure you will end up doing. Its all very well to talk a good open Government, but the Scots have actually acted on it. And let us assume that they are copies. (Large chunks are, of course, but the Scots clearly understand the definition of fire risk better than the ODPM, which will be very helpful to the concept of risk asessment, I am sure, in that fire risk ( the thing wot you are trying to assess, remember, will be a different thing in Scotland that it is in England and Wales) Why is it easier to consult on moved deckchairs than on the deckchairs in their original position? Anyhow not to worry, the fire safety community will no doubt rise to the challenge of fixing the dodgy material so that it is right in Scotland.