It has recently been reported that between January 2010 and March 2011 over 130 care homes in the UK were the subject of enforcement action by fire and rescue services.
Reasons for the enforcement action include unsatisfactorily trained staff, inadequate alarms, damaged equipment and blocked escape routes.
Care homes are supposed to be safe refuge for our loved ones but these figures suggest that many care homes in this country are routinely disregarding fire safety legislation and putting residents at risk.
Investigation suggests that local authority cuts throughout the country are to blame for care home owners cutting corners in this area.
This month there have already been two fires in care homes, one in Enniskillen in Ireland and the other in a specialist elderly care hospital in Edinburgh. Thankfully no one was harmed in these blazes.
Early Warning
Early warning of fire is essential where there are vulnerable people. Care homes cater for not only the elderly but physically disabled and mentally handicapped people too. In an alarm situation residents may become confused and panicked so it’s vital that there’s enough time for staff to organise an evacuation.
Evenly distributed smoke detectors, heat detectors and manual call points help the fire alarm to be triggered at an early stage.
Intelligent Systems
An intelligent fire alarm system that has provisions to allow alarms to be verified before the full alarm is triggered is a must. False alarms and disruption can be frightening for care home residents.
Training
Staff and caregivers need to be well-trained to recognise an alarm and carry out the necessary actions. If a fire alarm system is fitted they need to be able to read the fire alarm control panel and identify the location of the fire.
It is possible to have comprehensive fire safety even when times are tough. Discount Fire Supplies have a wide range of fire alarm systems to suit every budget, if you need any assistance choosing the right fire protection feel free to contact our sales team.
Discount Fire Supplies sell a range of fire alarms, fire alarm accessories and much more. Browse our online shop or contact us for a quote today.
Thanks for sharing information with us about fire safety in care homes. we agree with this information to save the life of elderly, physically disabled and mentally handicapped people who lives in many care homes.for this purpose it is needed to well trained the staff of care homes and provide a fire alarm system. thanks again.