Fire Safety for Care Homes and Sheltered Housing

What This Requirement Covers

Care homes and sheltered housing accommodate vulnerable residents who may have reduced mobility, cognitive impairment, or sensory disabilities. These buildings are classified as Purpose Group 2a (Residential institutional) under Approved Document B and require the highest levels of fire safety provision.

Key Requirements

Compartmentation

1. Each bedroom or suite must be a separate fire compartment with minimum 30-minute fire resistance (60 minutes for buildings over 18 metres)
2. The building should be divided into sub-compartments of no more than 750 m² to facilitate progressive horizontal evacuation
3. All corridors serving bedrooms must be protected corridors

Progressive Horizontal Evacuation

1. Unlike the simultaneous evacuation strategy used in offices, care homes typically use progressive horizontal evacuation
2. Residents are moved horizontally into an adjacent fire compartment (sub-compartment) rather than down stairs
3. This recognises that many residents cannot use stairs unaided
4. Sub-compartments must be separated by fire-resisting construction and equipped with fire doors

Fire Detection

1. Category L1 fire detection (full automatic detection throughout) to BS 5839-1 is required
2. Individual bedroom detectors should be linked to visual and audible alarms
3. Staff alert systems (pagers, radio sets) may supplement the main fire alarm

Sprinklers

1. Sprinklers are strongly recommended in care homes and are required in many cases:

- Wales: mandatory in all new care homes - Scotland: mandatory in care homes and sheltered housing - England: Building Control and the fire service increasingly expect sprinklers in care homes

Staffing and Management

1. Adequate trained staff must be on duty at all times (particularly overnight) to implement the evacuation plan
2. Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPs) must be prepared for every resident
3. Regular fire drills, including night-time scenarios, must be practised

Practical Compliance Tips

1. Design sub-compartments to accommodate the number of residents who would need to be moved in an evacuation
2. Ensure fire doors on corridors are held open by electromagnetic devices linked to the fire alarm (not wedges)
3. Specify bed head lighting and nurse call systems that are compatible with the fire alarm
4. Consult the local fire service and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) during the design stage
5. Install evacuation aids (evacuation mattresses, ski sheets) and train staff in their use
6. Consider the acoustic impact of fire alarms on residents with dementia; carefully calibrated alarm systems can reduce distress