RiskUKAugust2017

FIA Technical Briefing
*The Fire Industry Association
has compiled plenty of useful
guidance that can be
consulted when it comes to
fire safety in care homes, with
a number of downloadable
and printable resources
available free of charge on the
website (www.fia.uk.com).
Some documents that may be
of particular interest for fire
professionals include:
• Guidance on Fire Alarm
Detector Applications and
Documentation of the
Selection
• Guidance on the Application
of Primary Visual Alarm
Devices and Supplementary
Visual Indication Devices
• Guidance on the Selection
and Specification of Fire
Alarm Categories in
Accordance with BS 5839-1
dealing with other important issues. Therefore,
relying on staff to make a call to the Fire
Brigade while under such pressure is
unreasonable. Rather, they’re better tasked
with undertaking their Fire Action Plan.
Excessive false alarms
Such intensive detection coverage allied to
automatic connection to the Fire Brigade leads
to the obvious concern of excessive false
alarms. Typical sources of false alarms in care
homes include steam from showering and
laundry rooms, cooking fumes and the use of
hair spray or air fresheners.
Often, attempts are made to reduce false
calls either by reducing detector sensitivity or
introducing delay features into the system. One
common response is to install heat detection
instead of smoke detection as the former type
of detector is much less likely to ‘false alarm’.
However, heat detectors only activate when the
fire has established itself. By the time staff
members have responded to the alarm, it’s
unlikely that the fire can be tackled without Fire
and Rescue Service intervention.
In addition, heat detectors cannot fully
protect occupants who are asleep within a room
where the fire breaks out as the smoke may
well overcome those occupants before such
time that a heat detector could respond. Smoke
detection should be used throughout, then,
with heat detection only being employed where
absolutely necessary.
Where thermal detection is the only option,
it’s once again essential to maintain as high a
sensitivity as possible. Heat detectors come in
two basic types: fixed temperature and rate of
rise. Fixed temperature devices only respond
when the temperature at the detector reaches a
pre-defined limit. Typically, this is 58 o C, but
higher temperature devices are also available.
Rate of rise heat detectors have a fixed
temperature limit in addition to a response
based on a temperature increase over a certain
period of time. The rate of rise heat detector is
normally faster in its response than fixed
temperature and should be used as the next
best alternative. Occasionally, rate of rise
detectors can still false alarm (for instance,
when an oven door’s opened directly below a
detector). This can normally be handled by
careful positioning of the detectors in the
installation phase.
With the clear goal of maintaining detection
sensitivity throughout care premises, the
installer is well advised to consider some of the
latest multi-sensor technologies now available.
This enables smoke detection to be provided
where previously only heat detection could be
reliably used. Installers should seek the advice
of the manufacturers to establish Best Practice
with their products.
A further tendency to reduce false alarms is
to introduce delays in calling the Fire Brigade.
BS 5839 Part 1 2013 updated the guidance and
recommendations of Clause 19 and sub-clause
35.2.7 to address the need to avoid delay in
summoning the Fire and Rescue Service to
residential care premises. Again, the extensive
support and time needed to evacuate
occupants is the primary concern here.
Another key issue regarding the design of fire
alarm systems in care homes is the topic of
alarming. In some premises, it might not be
Best Practice to provide alarming for all areas in
one initial step. Fire alarms may well cause an
unwanted level of disruption to occupants who
could then draw support away from critical fire
response activity at the very worst moment.
Staff alarms and/or zonal alarming strategies
may well be helpful. Any such alarm strategy
needs careful consideration based on a risk
assessment and full consultation with all
interested parties (ie care home management,
the local Fire and Rescue Service and insurers,
etc). BS 5839 Part 1 outlines recommendations
for such systems and should be a key point of
reference for these discussions.
Containing fire and smoke
With prolonged evacuation, a major concern is
the control and containment of fire and smoke.
Sprinklers were highlighted as a key topic
subsequent to the investigations into the
Rosepark Care Home tragedy.
Smoke control systems and passive fire
protection are also critical in allowing
occupants sufficient time to safely evacuate the
premises. Again, the fire detection and alarm
system has an important role to play.
Fire doors are an essential element of passive
fire protection and need to be closed in the
event of fire. Unfortunately, they’re also
inconvenient in daily use, and especially for
elderly people, so tend to be held open with
electrical door holder units and released in the
event of a fire alarm.
For their part, final exit doors need to
balance the security of residents with the needs
of evacuation in the event of a fire outbreak.
Door release from the fire detection and
alarm system needs to be 100% reliable in all
events and should be according to the
recommendations of BS 7273 Part 4. For care
homes, Category A operation is required. The
systems installer should ensure that all the
requirements for this category are included in
the system design.
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