Should I Stay or Should I Go?

Following the tragic fire at Grenfell Tower there has been some disquiet and anxiety regarding the evacuation strategy that should be used by Specialised Housing within the care sector. To clarify what I mean by Specialised Housing, I refer to the descriptions given in the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) guidance – Fire Safety in Specialised Housing, in summary - Specialised Housing encompasses housing which is intended specifically for people who, by virtue of age, mobility, medical, mental health or cognitive impairment, are, to an extent, vulnerable or dependent, and who benefit from living with as much independence as possible in an environment that meets their particular needs. These needs may include, to some degree, the need for care and support services, which, in some supported housing, is similar in nature to that required for residents of residential care homes. Typically, such housing can be categorised as Sheltered Housing, Supported Housing, or Extra-Care Housing. Sheltered Housing may be described as accommodation where people live independently in self-contained accommodation. There may be some communal areas such as residents’ lounges and there may be a part-time staff presence. Supported Housing is accommodation in which generally each resident has their own bedroom but there are shared communal facilities such as lounges, kitchens, etc. There is normally 24 hours support provided by staff. Extra-Care Housing is accommodation which is of a similar nature to sheltered housing, but with a managed on-site care and support service, commonly on a 24-hour basis. Should I stay or should I go? The evacuation strategy should be specific to the needs and capabilities of the residents, and the strategy should consider the adequacy of the building passive protection measures and means of detecting any fire. Sheltered Housing  Generally, sheltered housing and extra-care housing schemes will utilise a stay put strategy. In the event of a fire within their home, the resident will evacuate, but others within the building will remain within their own residences. A stay put strategy relies heavily on good fire compartmentation within the building. Generally, if a stay put strategy is used, there will often be no fire detection or alarm in the stairways or corridors. If there are common areas within the building such as lounges, laundries, etc. then typically these, and often the corridors, will be protected by a fire alarm and detection system. The NFCC guidance is that where a stay put strategy is used the sound pressure level from the fire alarm in the common areas should not exceed 45dB (A) within the flats. The intention is to warn people in those common areas to leave the building i.e. use simultaneous evacuation, but not those in their residences. A common misconception around a stay put strategy is that it is compulsory! If residents do not feel comfortable or at ease when a neighbour’s or the communal fire alarm is sounding, they obviously have the right to leave the building if they desire. Supported Housing Generally, a simultaneous evacuation strategy will be employed. These buildings should have automatic detection and alarms within the bedrooms and common areas so that everybody in the building can be alerted and evacuate the building. From my experience of conducting inspections of various types of specialised housing premises there are common issues that arise -

1. Often, in older buildings, the extent of the compartmentation within the building may be inadequate or not fully known.
2. A stay put strategy relies on the building compartmentation holding the fire in the room of origin until the fire service can attend and extinguish it. If the level of compartmentation is not known, then a passive fire protection survey (which may be intrusive) may be needed to give that reassurance.
3. If there are obvious flaws in the level of compartmentation, then a simultaneous evacuation strategy should be used until the compartmentation is brought to an acceptable standard.
4. This in itself can bring further complications as often there is no building wide fire alarm system to alert the whole building and so a temporary common fire alarm system should be installed.

The NFCC has issued guidance entitled Guidance to support a temporary change to a simultaneous evacuation strategy in purpose-built block of flats The NFCC still advocates the use of a stay put strategy in buildings that are built and maintained correctly and that, in a building that was originally designed for a stay put policy, a change to simultaneous evacuation should only be temporary until the risk has been removed. Problems with compartmentation levels can arise from poor maintenance practice. In my inspections I often find:

• Damaged Georgian wired glazing panels replaced by standard glass which is not fire resisting;
• Service pipes or cables passed through compartment walls without appropriate fire stopping;
• Self-closing devices removed from entrance doors to flats or bedrooms;
• Fire doors and transom lights to flats or apartments replaced by doors and windows that are not fire resisting;
• Vent grilles installed in fire doors;
• Roof void fire walls and partitions disturbed to allow access for contractors and then not replaced;
• Ceiling panels removed to access pipework and not replaced.

Conclusion To conclude, if a building has been designed for a stay put strategy, is well built and well maintained, then, as has been proved for many years, a stay put strategy is safe. However, it is understandable after watching the media coverage and documentaries of the Grenfell Tower disaster that some people will wish to evacuate the building regardless of such assurances. gives more information on fire safety in Specialised Housing. Contact us Arinite clients appreciate we provide practical, no-nonsense advice about what you need to do to establish and maintain a safe and healthy working environment. Our team of health and safety consultants take pride in keeping health and safety simple. If you need to call upon our expert assistance, or just for an informal chat, please call our office 0207 947 9581, or type an enquiry to: https://www.arinite.com/contact-us/.