Fire safety focus for care homes

Siemens Building Products and Jackson Fire & Security are focusing on the importance of competence in fire safety systems for care homes.

Care homes have specific fire protection needs, particularly considering the elderly occupants and their mobility challenges.

According to a report submitted to CROSS-UK, a system where professionals can report safety issues, two incidents from fire and rescue services exposed residents to risks.

The report concluded that this may reflect a broader issue across the care home sector.

Competence in conducting fire risk assessments is essential.

Assessments must account for the specific environment and residents’ needs.

Addressable fire alarm systems in care homes

Many care homes still use older conventional fire alarm systems.

The British Standard recommends upgrading to addressable systems, which help quickly identify the location of an incident.

However, upgrading has cost implications.

Siemens offers addressable systems that do not require changes to wiring, provided the existing cables are suitable, which can reduce installation costs.

British Standard suggests L1 systems, offering maximum life protection, are ideal for larger nursing homes.

Minimising false alarms in care homes

False alarms are disruptive in care homes, where residents may struggle to evacuate.

Siemens’ ASA detectors, used by Jackson Fire & Security, guarantee no false alarms, using multi-criteria technology to detect fires quickly while avoiding common triggers like toasters and steam.

Drift compensation technology ensures consistent performance throughout the detector’s lifespan, maintaining sensitivity despite dust or dirt build-up.

Training and competence in fire safety system installation

Ensuring the competence of engineers installing fire safety systems is critical.

Steve Jackson, Managing Director of Jackson Fire & Security, said: “Whenever we bring a new franchisee on board, we ensure that they receive full training directly from Siemens in the equipment they will be installing.”

Rob Yates, Siemens Head of Building Products Fire Safety in the UK and Ireland, added: “Training has always been an important focus in our relationships with our partners.

“We are constantly looking at our training programmes to make them more customer-focused.”

Siemens underscores fire safety system competence in care homes: Summary

Siemens Building Products and Jackson Fire & Security are emphasising the importance of competence in the provision of fire safety systems for care homes.

A report submitted to CROSS-UK revealed risks to care home residents in two incidents, suggesting that this could be a wider issue in the sector.

Siemens recommends upgrading to addressable fire alarm systems, which reduce false alarms and installation costs.

Both Siemens and Jackson Fire & Security underline the importance of ensuring that engineers installing and maintaining these systems are fully trained, with Siemens providing comprehensive training programmes.