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Fire Safety for Care Homes is dealt with in the booklet Draft Guide to Fire Precautions in Exisitng Residential Care Premises. It sets out basic standards for means of escape and related fire pracautions. 

Also further advice can be found :

• Fire Safety Risk Assessment - Residential Care Premises Fire Safety Risk Assessment - Means of Escape for Disabled People (Supplementary Guide)

• Fire Safety Risk Assessment - Sleeping AccommodationHealth and Safety in Care Homes (HSG 220)

Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 replaces most fire safety legislation with one simple order.  It means that any person who has some level of control in premises must take reasonable steps to reduce the risk from fire and make sure people can safely escape should there be a fire.

The order applies to virtually all premises and covers nearly all types of building, structure and open space.

One of the main concerns in any residential care/nursing home is without doubt fire!

The biggest worry being containment of the fire and evacuation of vulnerable people often with limited mobility.

Sprinklers are mandatory in Scotland and could become compulsory in England and Wales. Anyone building or refurbishing a new residential care or nursing home should seriously consider them.

It is much cheaper to put them in at the construction stage, and they could actually save money by reducing other fire safety related costs, such as:
 
LESS FIRE DOORS - The number of fire doors can often be reduced when sprinklers are installed.  Wedges are often used to hold open fire doors. This is a dangerous practice and could cost lives, but it is also illegal and could lead to UNLIMITED FINES, a PRISON SENTENCE, or BOTH!

Your fire risk assessment must take into account your residents and their capabilities and understanding.

It should also be borne in mind that not all mobility-impaired people are wheelchairs users. Users of aids such as walking sticks and Zimmer frames should also be considered. Whereas people in wheelchairs may be accompanied by someone familiar with manoeuvring the wheelchair around, people with sticks or frames may be alone – and there is potential for them to disrupt the evacuation procedure. Getting someone who relies on a Zimmer frame down stairs in an emergency could be slower than assisting a wheelchair user by carrying them in an evacuation chair or on an evacuation mattress. This should be taken into account when formulating the emergency plan.

Further reading :

Fire safety

Fire safety is exercised through the statutory provisions relating to registration. In reality, this usually results in the registration authorities wanting to be satisfied that fire recommendations have been met before a certificate of registration will be issued. The Residential Care Homes Regulations 1984 state the following in respect of fire safety: 'the person registered shall, at such times as may be agreed with the fire authority, consult that authority on fire precautions in the home.' The Nursing Homes and Mental Nursing Homes Regulations 1984 require comments from the fire authority to be submitted with the application for registration.

Relevant legislation, guidance and information:

Fire Precautions Act 1971

Residential Care Homes Regulations 1984