Fire Risks in Residential Care

[Dragonmaster]

Case study for comments please.

Two storey res care premises. Upper floor has 2 means of escape, and external staircase and a protected internal staircase mid landing (fire seprated at the top of the stairs). The owner proposes to change the 1st floor office into a laundry room, in the same 'compartment' as 6 bedrooms (the whole 1st floor is one compartment). Escape for 4 rooms is passed the laundry door to the head of the staircase (approx 4-5m), or further onto the external stair (another 1-2m).

The scenario doesn't feel right to me, but i'm unable to identify any guidance that suggests this is inappropriate (higher fire risk in bedroom compartment). If we assume the menegement is good, and the self-closing FD30s door to the laundry isn't wedged open when residents occupy their rooms, would you good folks consider this acceptable? - please assume some assistance for evacuation is necessary, and appropriate L2 is fitted.

[kurnal]

Just observations.
Laundry is a high risk area with known hazards- electrical, gas, lint, heat sources and combustible materials together, soiled fabrics, treatment for fabrics, oxidising agents, potential for spontaneous ignition of newly folded laundry (rare but it does happen)

Next despite the L1 system you can bet the detector in the laundry will be Heat. Sensitivity and rating??

Fire resistance of  ceiling and door?

If people are in bedrooms the chances are that the laundry will not be in use?? Perhaps?

Profile of persons in the six bedrooms- are they bed ridden, could defend in place be a potential option- everyone is ill sometimes? Can they get themselves out of bed or do they rely on assistance?

Staffing levels- how long would it take to evacuate the bedroom compartment- (RSET vs  ASET)  bearing in mind a fire is likely to be established before the heat detector operates?

Can Progressive horizontal evacuation be achieved or are we next to a staircase with limited options?

Potential for the laundry door to be wedged open???

I am not saying it cant be done - many homes have laundries in bedroom corridors- but it is undesirable. The old green guide used to advise against ancillary accommodation in bedroom compartments.

Is there really no other location for the laundry?


 

[Dragonmaster]

Thanks Kurnal

It appears that the existing laundry on the ground floor is considered too small to cope by the RP. Defend in place is not an option, and although whilst progressive horizontal evacuation is, in theory, the procedure, in practice, it would be either to evac to the ground floor via the internal staircase or to outside using the external. This building is a large house rather than a purpose built Res Care premises.

I too don't feel comfortable with this, and i was hoping someone might be able to put their finger on some more recent guidance that supports the old green guide.

[afterburner]

Just a clarification question

the 4 rooms which must pass the proposed laundry, is this a 'dead end' situation for these rooms?

[Dragonmaster]

Effectively yes. The travel distance from the furthest bedroom to the head of the stairs is about 4m or so then another 1-2m to the external (imagine the top step of the internal stairs landing 1/2 way along the landing. Carry straight on and you access the external. Turn right to get to 4 of the 6 bedrooms. In answer to one other of Kurnal's points, generally the occupants a 'nromal' res care clients, not nursing.