Fire Safety in Care Homes — The Unique Challenges

Care homes and assisted living facilities present some of the most demanding fire safety engineering challenges in residential building design. The combination of vulnerable occupants who may have limited mobility or cognitive impairment, 24-hour occupation, high staff-to-resident ratios required during evacuation, and the need to balance fire safety with residential normalcy creates fire safety requirements that go significantly beyond standard residential guidance.

The Applicable Guidance

Fire strategies for care homes are primarily developed against the guidance in Approved Document B (Volume 2) for the building fabric, but must also address the specific care home requirements of HTM 05-03 (Health Technical Memorandum on fire safety in specialised premises — residential care homes) and any specific requirements of the Care Quality Commission (CQC). The local fire service typically has a particularly active role in reviewing fire strategies for care homes.

Progressive Horizontal Evacuation

The standard evacuation strategy for care homes is progressive horizontal evacuation — moving residents horizontally to an adjacent compartment rather than evacuating them down stairs, which may be impractical for those with mobility impairments. Each floor is divided into at least two fire compartments, enabling residents in the compartment where a fire occurs to be moved to the adjacent compartment while the fire service deals with the emergency.

Designing for progressive horizontal evacuation requires careful attention to compartment sizes, the capacity of the refuge zones, the width of fire doorways for wheelchair access, and the staff numbers required to move residents safely.

Sprinkler Systems in Care Homes

Sprinkler systems are effectively mandatory for care homes due to the vulnerability of the occupant group. Building Regulations require sprinklers in all new care homes, and they are strongly recommended for all existing care homes. The fire strategy must address the sprinkler system design — specifying the hazard classification, coverage and interface with the fire alarm system.

Fire Alarm and Detection in Care Homes

Care homes require a Category L1 automatic fire detection system — detection throughout the building, including all bedrooms. The fire alarm and detection system must be integrated with the nurse call system and must be capable of being managed by night staff. The fire strategy specifies the detection type and coverage, the alarm zoning to support progressive horizontal evacuation, and the interface with the nurse call and door hold-open systems.