Hardware Extra
Reviewing Building Safety in Specialised Housing
Ensuring the safety of residents and staff in specialised housing environments has always been a priority for those in the sector . Karen Trigg of Allegion UK highlights the steps decision makers must make to keep occupants in sheltered , extra care or supported housing safe and secure .
» WHETHER IT ’ S ADHERING TO FIRE safety or infection control guidelines – a topic that is never far from our thoughts at the moment – there are many options that decision makers can take to ensure maximum safety and compliance in specialised housing settings . Only recently , the pandemic has left facilities such as care homes and their staff under scrutinity over their infection control methods . And now , with the winter period playing a role in the spread of common colds and such , infection control , along with the safety of occupants , is rife in the news . So with that in mind , what are the steps that must be taken to ensure occupants in supported housing stay safe and secure ?
Providing a safe environment for all doesn ’ t have to be a complex process , although it is important that the process is thorough , with occupants in these settings potentially far more vulnerable to injury or worse in the event of a fire . The same is true for infection control , where robust policies and protocols should be in place to protect those living in supported housing , as well the staff looking after them .
FIRE SAFETY
The National Fire Chiefs Council ’ s ( NFCC ) comprehensive guide for specialised homes , published in 2017 , includes many proprosals , all designed to protect the estimated three quarters of a million residents situated in specialised housing in the U . K .
Further to this , in January 2020 , the Scottish Government strengthed its response to fire safety – the Practical fire safety for existing specialised housing and similar premises : guidance – which is aimed at housing and care providers , as well as care regulators and care service commissioners .
Both reports detail ways in which specialised homes should work to minimise fire risk to protect both the people living , working and visiting there , and the building itself .
Examining the statistics surrounding fire safety in these environments , it ’ s unsurprising that it remains a priority . According to the NFCC report , sheltered and extra care housing accounts for about 2 % of housing stock , but between 2010 and 2016 , they accounted for about 7 % of fires – a critical finding .
From this , London Fire Brigade ’ s eight-page document distilled the main information and includes a person-centred fire risk assessment checklist and a list of the main fire safety management procedures , such as testing fire doors and fire alarms , record-keeping and essential maintenance . Crucially , fire doors and their appropriate door hardware , such as mechanical and electromagnetic closers and
panic emergency exit hardware , must be fitted correctly and regularly checked to ensure these heavily used products are fit for purpose .
However , key for specialised housing , it ’ s important to remember that there is no onesize-fits-all solution to fire safety products . Residents for example , must be comfortable using fire doors and their hardware , thus removing the risks associated with heavy or non-functional doors that residents in these settings may have additional problems operating . Decision makers are advised to consult a door hardware expert , who will provide further guidance as to the products that will best meet the needs of a speficic facility . These experts consider such issues as assessing the emergency access and egress systems , as well as establishing how best to accommodate the needs of all occupiers and staff .
Sources : https :// www . nationalfirechiefs . org . uk / write / MediaUploads / NFCC % 20Guidance % 20publications / NFCC _ Specialised _ Housing _ Guidance _ - _ Copy . pdf https :// www . gov . scot / publications / practical-fire-safety-guidance-existing-specialised-housing-similar-premises / pages / 2 / https :// www . nationalfirechiefs . org . uk / write / MediaUploads / NFCC % 20Guidance % 20publications / NFCC _ Specialised _ Housing _ Guidance _ - _ Copy . pdf https :// www . richmond . gov . uk / media / 16745 / fire _ safety _ in _ specialised _ housing . pdf | https :// www . allegion . co . uk / content / allegionuk / en / firedoorsafety / fitbritonandstaysafe . html
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