A focus on mental health fire safety at UK event

The Fire Industry Association (FIA) has reported that FIM Expo Harrogate 2025 placed a distinct emphasis on practical fire safety challenges within healthcare.

The one-day UK event drew professionals from across the fire protection sector, with attendees including manufacturers, installers, consultants and system end users.

One of the most attended sessions featured Karen Byard, Fire Safety Lead at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, who presented on the complexities of managing fire risks in mental health facilities.

Karen Byard discusses mental health fire risks

Karen Byard’s session explored how fire safety standards are implemented in care environments with vulnerable individuals.

Her talk outlined how patient needs, environmental design, and regulatory compliance interact in NHS mental health wards.

She highlighted measures adopted by her Trust, including silent alarm systems to reduce distress, ligature-resistant features, and the use of fire-resistant materials such as flaxboard core doors.

Byard said: “Fire safety in any healthcare building is critical to the safety of patients, visitors, staff, and the ability of the building to enable staff to provide ongoing care.”

Real-life incidents inform system design

Byard provided examples of how past fire incidents have shaped the Trust’s approach.

She discussed risk assessments, community-based prevention strategies, and a layered response combining passive fire protection and staff training.

She said: “There is also an increased risk of fires being deliberately set by patients, which means that we need to be confident that the preventive measures in place are in a good state of repair and checked or tested regularly.”

The presentation connected regulatory frameworks with frontline practice, illustrating how risk control methods are tailored to individual service users’ needs.

Technical displays support professional learning

In addition to the conference sessions, FIM Expo featured interactive exhibits from UK fire safety manufacturers.

Attendees had access to demonstrations of alarm systems, suppression technologies, emergency lighting and more.

Exhibitors provided technical information directly to installers, specifiers and safety officers, supporting informed decision-making across sectors.

The event also allowed for peer-to-peer exchanges between those working in both healthcare and non-healthcare settings.

FIM Expo Harrogate 2025: Summary

FIM Expo Harrogate 2025 brought together fire safety professionals from across the UK for a day of technical demonstrations, expert talks and peer discussions.

The Fire Industry Association reported that the event featured a wide range of technologies including fire detection systems, emergency lighting, alarms and suppression products.

Karen Byard, Fire Safety Lead at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, delivered a CPD-accredited session focused on fire protection in NHS mental health settings.

Topics included the use of silent alarm systems, specialist fire doors, ligature resistance and fire signage challenges.

She shared her Trust’s multi-layered response strategies, involving fire risk assessments, targeted training and building design adjustments.

Byard emphasised the importance of adapting fire safety systems to the specific needs of mental health patients.

The event enabled professionals from manufacturing, installation and consultancy to engage with suppliers and learn from operational case studies.