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. 54 www.risk-uk.com
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