This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Guidance to improve care home fire safety
28/11/2005
Guidance aimed at ensuring care home owners and their employees are fully aware of their fire safety responsibilities was published today.
The guidance - issued in draft form for consultation - aims to further improve safety in care homes and ensure all owners fully comply with fire safety regulations.
Responses are sought from those responsible for any non-domestic premises. This guidance forms the first in a series of documents aimed at providing fire safety advice for different types of premises and will act as a template for future guides.
The document helps those with fire safety responsibilities to understand what fire safety risk assessments involve, considers various fire safety measures, and sets out benchmarks to assist with assessing the adequacy of existing measures.
Welcoming publication of the draft guidance Deputy Justice Minister Hugh Henry said:
"Too many lives are lost each year to fires, many of which could have been avoided. That is why we are focused on ensuring that prevention in all types of properties, in the home and in care homes, is at the heart of our efforts to modernise the Fire and Rescue Services.
"It is vital that we take all appropriate steps to protect older and vulnerable people from the dangers of fire. And the consultation document published today aims to ensure that those with statutory fire safety responsibilities take sensible precautions to keep their residents as safe as they can be.
"It also provides a further opportunity to make sure everyone in the care sector is aware of the fire risks around them, and that they have strategies in place to minimise them, as well as giving those outwith that care sector a chance to help shape future guidance for their sectors.
"None of us can afford to be complacent when it comes to fire safety because complacency kills. Our aim is to make sure that every building and every home in Scotland is safe, prepared and supported by a modern, efficient Fire and Rescue Service."
Part 3 of the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 and the Fire Safety (Scotland) Regulations set out the fire safety duties for the majority of premises in Scotland, with the exception of private dwellings. The legislation seeks to ensure the safety of persons in the premises in respect of harm caused by fire by setting out fire safety responsibilities for those with control of the premises.
The new legislation is planned to come into force late next year.
The legal duty which is imposed by the legislation seeks to achieve safety through seven general requirements:
- Carrying out a fire safety risk assessment of the premises;
- Putting in place fire safety measures which have been identified as necessary as a result of the fire safety risk assessment outcome;
- Implementing these fire safety measures using risk reduction principles;
- Putting in place fire safety arrangements for the ongoing control and review of the fire safety measures;
- Complying additionally with the specific requirements of the fire safety regulations;
- Keeping the fire safety risk assessment and outcome under review; and
- Record keeping.
The consultation will close on February 19, 20