Consitency in care homes

[Markbr]

Sorry just for completeness, it is only when my clients seem to have asked to do something that to my untrained eye appears unreasonable compared against things my other clients might have been asked to do, I recommend they seek additional advice. Not wishing to divert the discussion but one example was a client that had been told to add a 3rd hinge to his doors when the hinges were welded into metal frames. The upgrade would have involved the complete replacement of all his frames at massive cost. After taking advice, the FO when presented with the advice accepted the third hinge was not warranted.

Rule number 5 “fire doors should be fitted with at least 3 fire rated hinges”  

[kurnal]

Rule number 5 “fire doors should be fitted with at least 3 fire rated hinges”  

I was looking at some super fire doors the other day which had only one hinge!!!!!!

(It was a steel piano hinge on a fire/ security door that ran uninterrupted through the full height of the door.)

Theres always an exception to prove every rule.

[Markbr]

Indeed but the key word is "exception".

So to bring us back onto the debate, would it really be that hard to give the care industry a set of concise clear rules to provide a baseline from which variances must be agreed by FO's,  or am I being too simplistic?

[kurnal]

It would undermine the whole philosophy of the fire safety order and turn it back on its head. It would force us back towards prescriptive standards. Consistency is easy when the standards are prescribed.

The Politicians have all taken the view that the RP should have the freedom to determine how the order will be satisfied and the only role of the fire officer should be to assess the level of compliance and determine whether compliant or not, and if not to use enforcement powers. If the RP had to consult the Fire Officer the system would then revert to the RP deciding the workload of the FO - tail wagging the dog.

[Tom Sutton]

It would undermine the whole philosophy of the fire safety order and turn it back on its head. It would force us back towards prescriptive standards. Consistency is easy when the standards are prescribed.

I only ever worked under a prescriptive regime and we were constantly accused of being inconsistent, by our old friend Toddy and others. Fire risk assessment just amplifies the situation and its something you will have to live with.