ALL ABOUT THE DOOR
Removing the Obscurity Behind Sheltered Housing Fire Standards
» WITH NEW FIRE SAFETY legislations demanding a renewed focus on safety in all residential settings , Karen Trigg of Allegion UK explains why care home and sheltered housing associations must prioritise the maintenance of fire doors .
The regulations and standards associated with fire safety and sheltered , assisted and social housing are , by necessity , robust . Yet , the responsibilities towards those standards , and subsequently , fire safety equipment such as fire doors , can often leave people vulnerable , as previous accounts have highlighted .
Fire doors in particular , are an essential defence against fire and smoke and in the event of a fire , give building occupants the time to get out safely - or have emergency services reach them . However , to work effectively , these doors must be installed by an expert and maintained properly from thereon after . There are no exceptions .
This is especially important in care homes and sheltered living scenarios , where there are multiple - and often vulnerable – occupants , and in social housing developments , where many susceptible tenants can live . The standards those buildings must meet are reiterated in the recent updates to both the Fire Safety Bill and the Building Safety Bill , which suggest a renewed focus on the safety of occupants in all residential settings .
Robust Legislations
Often , residential settings such as care homes and sheltered living locations require extra thinking behind the safety of occupants . With ease of movement and general building safety high on the agenda , so too should the fire safety of a building .
But , take care homes for example . Inspectors have been known to reprimand responsible parties for blocking fire door exits , wedging doors open , keeping fire doors locked and in some cases , finding fire doors that are incorrectly fitted . That ’ s not to mention potential maintenance issues . In fact , it was last year that the Care Quality Commission issued a warning to care home managers that fire safety has to be followed , despite concerns over the spread of coronavirus , pointing out that propping open fire doors to avoid touching door handles compromises fire safety .
Care homes and sheltered housing providers are already responsible for the safety of their residents and legally obliged , under the Regulatory Reform ( Fire Safety ) Order 2005 ( FSO ), to ensure buildings and their people are safe . The Fire Safety Bill seeks to amend the Fire Safety Order 2005 and clarifies that the responsible person or duty-holder for multi-occupied , residential buildings must manage and reduce the risk of fire . This includes the structure and external walls of the building , the entrance doors to individual flats and the fire doors for
Sources ; https :// www . ifsecglobal . com / fire-news / 5-care-home-operators-regret-fire-safety-negligence /, https :// www . ridout-law . com / a-warning-from-cqc-ensure-your-fire-safety-measures-have-not-been-compromised-2 /,
38
MAY / JUN 2021
locksmithjournal . co . uk Issue Takeover
Magazine Sponsor