Fire Precautions

A resident rights approach HIQA

27 April 2022
Introductions

Brid McGoldrick - National Operations Manager (Inspector of Social Services)

Niall Whelton - Inspector of Social Services (Estates and Fire Safety)

Gordon Ellis - Inspector of Social Services (Estates and Fire Safety)

Objective

• To promote a culture where residents’ assessed needs and

requirements inform the fire precautions
• To ensure compliance with the regulations made under the Health
Act as amended
Role of this team

• Assist the Chief inspector in assessing compliance with

standards and regulations pertinent to estates and fire
safety in health and social care services.
• Education and training of Inspectors of Social Services
• Deliver webinars for external stakeholders
Inspector of Social Services

• Appointed under the Health Act (as amended) to assist the Chief
Inspector in the performance of the Chief Inspector’s functions
• Performs the functions of the chief inspector to the extent
determined by the chief inspector and has the same powers and
duties as the chief inspector to perform those functions
• Issued with a certificate of appointment
Legal Framework
Health Act 2007 as amended
The registered provider

• The registered provider is an entity described in the Health Act 2007 (as
amended)

• In order to be registered, the registered provider must demonstrate compliance

with the regulations made under the Health Act 2007 (as amended)

• The Chief Inspector may impose a condition on the registration of a designated

centre. This may be when applying to be registered or during a registration
cycle in response to identified risk or non-compliance

• The regulations made under the Health Act 2007 (as amended) are the
minimum legal requirements
Designated Centre

• A Designated Centre is a centre providing residential services as described in

the Health Act

• Exclusions include:
• a centre registered by the Mental Health Commission;
• an institution managed by or on behalf of a Minister of the Government;
• that part of an institution in which the majority of persons being cared for
and maintained are being treated for acute illness or provided with palliative
care;
• an institution primarily used for the provision of educational, cultural,
recreational, leisure, social or physical activities;
• a children detention school as defined in section 3 of the Children Act 2001
Registration of a Designated Centre

• Each designated centre must be registered by the Chief Inspector in order to

commence operation the service.
• A registration cycle is three years
• Registration controls the entry to the market
• The Chief Inspector may cancel a registration or impose a restrictive condition
Regulatory Powers

Soft Powers – Engagement with the provider

• Compliance plan following inspection

• Fire safety risk assessment
• Programme of work to address risks
• Tolerable interim measures to manage the risk

Hard Powers - Escalation

• Cautionary meeting
• Warning meeting
• Cancel the registration or de-register part of the centre
• Conditions of registration on certificate with date to be in compliance
• Referral to the fire authority
The Health Act 2007
Providers must comply with the regulations made under the Health Act 2007 (as amended)

Older People People with Disabilities Special Care Units

Care and Welfare of Residents in Care and Support of Residents in Care and Welfare of Children in Special
Designated Centres for Older People Designated Centres for Persons (Children Care Units
and Adults) with Disabilities

Regulation 28- Fire Precautions Regulation 28- Fire Precautions Regulation 26- Fire Precautions

These regulations are the minimum legal requirement

Regulatory Oversight
Regulatory Oversight
Achieved not solely through inspections, oversight of all available information

Fieldwork

• Site visit (New designated centre)

• Regulatory compliance inspections (multiple regulations or single issue)

Receipt of solicited information

• Notifications required under the regulations

Receipt of unsolicited information

• Concerns from residents or their advocates

• Concerns from the public
Fire Safety Handbook
The Fire Safety Handbook

• Developed in conjunction with expert

advisory group
• Based on review of literature
• Regulatory requirements
• Quality improvement focus
• Fire safety checklists
• User-friendly layout
• A copy has been provided to all
registered providers
• Available to download on website
• Link to E-learning
Structure of the Handbook

Part 1 Part 2
• Describes what strong • Describes effective fire
governance looks like prevention and
containment in a
premises
The Resident rights -
Focused Approach
The resident-focused approach
Governance and
management of fire
safety Each of these four themes
are intrinsically linked

Risk identification
Staff knowledge
Resident and management

A residents has a right to

live safely in their home
Residents’ diverse
needs
Frequent non-compliances

• Inadequate containment of fire

• Quality of fire doors
• Fire compartment boundaries for phased evacuation
• Inadequate arrangements to evacuate residents
• Inadequate training
• Inadequate resources (staffing) at night
• poor drill practices
• Poor risk identification and management
• Inadequate means of escape
• Bedrooms used as inner rooms
• Fastening to exit
• Poor precautions against the risk of fire
• Attics used for storage
• Large volumes of combustibles (PPE etc)
 What do the regulations
say about governance and
management
“…management systems are in place
to ensure the service provided is safe,
appropriate, consistent and effectively
monitored…”

What management What does a Fire safety

systems? management programme
look like?
Fire safety programme?
Centre specific policies?

Reference from the fire safety handbook:

Chapter 2 ‘Governance and Management of fire safety’
Governance and Management
Complexity
Oversight and size Centre
Maintenance / Specific
service
contracts

Accountability
Fire Safety Governance
Programme
&
management Promotion
of fire
Staff safety
training

Review of
Staff fire
Audit precautions
feedback process
Assessed Fire Safety
Needs of Residents
The fire safety needs of all residents are not the same.
The provider must ensure all needs are met.

Staff resources:
Are they suitable to Pre-admission
meet the fire safety assessment:
needs of the Is the service suitable?
residents?

Bedroom
Evacuation aids: accommodation:
Are staff trained on Is it appropriate for the
how to use them? Evacuation needs: resident’s evacuation
Have they been needs?
assessed and
recorded e.g. PEEP?
Personal emergency
evacuation plans
• A current picture and relevant information
• Information on the ability of residents to understand the
sound of the alarm being activated
• Information on residents’ ability to evacuate
• Staff assistance required, number and skills of staff
both daytime and night-time
• Supervision requirements after being evacuated
• Date last reviewed
Evacuation and Staff
Knowledge
 What do the regulations
say about evacuation?
‘The Registered Provider shall make
adequate arrangements for
evacuating all persons…’
What are the adequate
arrangements in place
to evacuate all residents?
Is the Provider solely How can the Provider
relying on the fire evacuate residents if
service? they don’t account for
individual ability?

Do providers need to assess

the individual evacuation
ability of each resident?
Why are evacuation drills important?

• They test if the evacuation procedure is fit

for purpose

• They outline evacuation time, problems

encountered. Any learning should be
documented

• They inform staff, training and equipment

needs
Evacuation drills

The regulations under the Health Act, require a provider to make adequate arrangements
for the evacuation and safe placement of residents in the event of a fire.

Extended evacuation times from a fire compartment imply a deficit in the

evacuation strategy

The registered provider should strive to reduce evacuation time

Simulated evacuation drills are a means for the provider to test the evacuation procedure
and ensure it is fit for purpose
Evacuation drills

What is a safe egress That depends on a

time? number of factors

Factors to consider:

• No. of residents in a compartment • Travel distance

• No. of bedrooms in a • Deficiencies in fire systems
compartment • Deficiencies in containment measures
• No. and location of exits/escape • Drill records and learning
routes • High-risk areas within the
• Staff resources compartment
• Type of evacuation route- • Resident safety
alternative/single direction? • Staff safety
Evacuation aids

• Provider should supply and maintain all aids and equipment

• They must suit the needs of the resident
• Suitable for the escape route being used on
• Correlate with the evacuation procedures
• Sufficient numbers of evacuation aids to meet need
• Staff must be trained in their use and have tried it
• Routes kept clear and suitable for the type of evacuation aid
• Identify any restrictions on the route i.e. door widths, turns on corridors,
ramps, steps etc
Staff Training
It must be
centre specific We would expect
some requirements
What should be
as a minimum
included as part of
training?

Minimum requirements
Location of
Procedures
Emergency Building alarm call
should a
Fire & layout & points, first Fire control
resident’s
prevention Evacuation escape aid & fire techniques
clothes
Procedures routes fighting
catch fire
equipment
Staff knowledge
Promote fire
safety
Feed into the
Participate in fire safety
fire drills programme

Effective staff
knowledge
Understand
Feedback should include risk
concern to
management all of the identification
following
factors

Receive Know the

training residents’
needs
Know the
evacuation
procedure
Thank You.

George’s Court, George’s Lane T: 01 814 7400

Smithfield, Dublin 7 W: www.hiqa.ie
D07 E98Y E: [email protected]