In such cases, variation in the guidance to Standard 2.9 would be entirely appropriate where the risk of death or injury from falls is assessed against the hazards associated with fire. An example would be a 2 storey residential home for the elderly, mentally infirm, where there is concern about residents falling down stairs. Some residential care buildings are a home to people who might put themselves at risk. Residential care buildings can present difficulties when assessing the risks associated with security against the need to evacuate the building safely in the case of fire. Each sub-compartment should be provided with at least 2 exits by way of protected zones and/or unprotected zones to adjoining, but separate, compartments or sub-compartments. However additional exits may be needed in accordance with clause 2.9.7. Number of exits - at least 2 exits should be provided from any storey in a residential care building. Where a lower roof abuts an external wall, the roof should provide a medium fire resistance duration for a distance of at least 3m from the wall.
products that achieve a European Classification B, C, D or E) provided the wall has short fire resistance duration.
However the fire door to the cleaners cupboard need not be self closing provided it is lockable.Ī sub-compartment wall can be constructed with combustible products (i.e. Where any corridor escape route serves sleeping accommodation it should be constructed of walls providing short fire resistance duration and any door in the wall should be a suitable self-closing fire door with a short fire resistance duration. Designers of residential care buildings may need to make reference to the relevant documents which comprise ‘NHS Scotland Firecode’.ĭay rooms with a floor area greater than 20m 2 Any departure from this guidance should be carried out on a risk-based approach and early consultation with the verifier and fire and rescue service is essential.įire safety in residential care buildings is also dependent upon the way a building is furnished, staffed and managed. Whilst the guidance in this annex is suitable for most residential care buildings, it is accepted that a degree of flexibility should be applied when designing for specialised conditions such as children’s homes or care homes where the occupants suffer from dementia. Residential care buildings are quite diverse and can be used by a variety of occupants, each requiring different types of care to suit their specific needs. The combination of active and passive fire protection should afford staff and occupants the additional time necessary to evacuate the building safely.Īdditional recommendations are provided for compartmentation, cavities, escape, escape lighting, communication and automatic fire suppression. Automatic fire suppression is intended to limit the development of a fire to the room or space of fire origin and automatic detection provides the early warning of the outbreak of fire.
The intention of sub-compartmentation and the enclosure of fire hazard rooms is to provide physical barriers to a fire. In residential care buildings the problems are greater as the mobility, awareness and understanding of the occupants may also be impaired. And for these purposes, the expressions mentioned in sub-paragraphs (a) and (b) above, have the same meaning as in the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Act 2001.Īll residential buildings pose special problems because the occupants may be asleep when a fire starts.