Fire Safety Policy & Procedure

What goes in a care home fire safety policy?

A fire safety policy explains how the care home prevents fire and keeps people safe if a fire happens. It shows how the home meets its duties under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order. It also works alongside your fire risk assessment, which is the written check of fire risks in the building that the Order calls for. It is for care homes only, so supported living services should follow the NFCC specialised housing guidance instead.

The procedure in nine parts

1. Reviewing and recording the fire risk assessment

2. A personal emergency evacuation plan (PEEP) for each resident, done on the day they move in

3. Preventing fire: smoking rules, fire doors, clear escape routes and safe storage of oxygen

4. Testing and servicing alarms, emergency lighting and extinguishers

5. Training and drills, including drills that reflect night staffing

6. What to do if you discover a fire

7. What to do after a fire or false alarm

8. What to do if the fire alarm or a safety device fails

9. Contractors and building work

If a fire starts

Staff raise the alarm at the nearest call point and call 999, even if the alarm links to a monitoring centre. They follow the evacuation strategy, help residents to safety using their PEEPs, and close doors behind them to slow the spread of fire and smoke. Lifts stay out of use unless the fire risk assessment allows them.

The fire marshal, a member of staff trained to lead the response on their shift, checks that no one is missing and meets the fire service. Afterwards the policy lists what to tell CQC, such as a serious injury or a death, and prompts staff to check whether RIDDOR applies. If a fire alarm or safety device fails for longer than a continuous 24 hours, CQC must hear about that too.

Before you use this fire safety policy

Copy your evacuation strategy, testing intervals and drill frequency from your own fire risk assessment. Then fill the gaps for the responsible person, who holds the legal duties under the Order. You also add your fire risk assessor, your servicing contractor and where you keep the PEEP summary. The Registered Manager reviews the document after 12 months, or sooner after a fire, building changes or a change in law.

Weekly fire checks also sit in the audit timetable of the Governance & Quality Assurance Policy. The Health & Safety Policy holds the RIDDOR criteria, and any injury from a fire goes in the Accident & Incident Log.