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Residential Care Premises

Residential care settings house vulnerable individuals, many of whom require assistance to evacuate. A tailored fire risk assessment and effective evacuation strategy are essential to protect residents, staff, and visitors.

To DO’s

  • All care settings require a comprehensive, site-specific fire risk assessment and may benefit from person-centred risk assessments
  • Establish emergency plans with appropriate fire evacuation strategies and practice them with subsequent drills, these are essential for protecting vulnerable residents
  • Consider additional facilities/equipment (with appropriate training) for residents unable to self-evacuate

Premises Types Covered

This guidance applies to:

Fire Risk Assessment

A fire risk assessment must:

  • Identify hazards and who is at risk
  • Evaluate risks and implement control measures
  • Be reviewed regularly, especially after any changes to the layout or occupancy

It should address:

Fire Risk Assessment Guide for Residential Care (gov.uk)

Emergency Planning

Your emergency plan must:

  • Reflect your fire risk assessment
  • Ensure staff know their roles and evacuation procedures
  • Include regular evacuation drills
  • Consider staff-to-resident ratio and night-time staffing

Evacuation Strategies
Residential Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (Residential PEEPs) (gov.uk)

Additional Fire Safety Measures

Install and maintain appropriate fire extinguishers

Further Guidance

Tools

Fire Risk Assessment Template
docx, 31.97 KB
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