Healthcare Fire Safety Consultancy

Healthcare fire safety consultancy helps nursing homes, hospitals and designated centres meet their fire safety duties. The key requirements come from HIQA Regulation 28, the Fire Services Acts 1981 and 2003 and the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005. The service covers fire risk assessments to PAS 79-1:2020, fire safety management systems, progressive horizontal evacuation planning, fire door inspections and fire safety policies. The aim is simple: protect vulnerable occupants and keep the facility compliant.

Regulation 28 of the Health Act 2007 (Care and Welfare of Residents in Designated Centres for Older People) Regulations deals with fire precautions. The registered provider must take adequate precautions against the risk of fire. That means suitable fire safety equipment, maintained detection and alarm systems, trained staff, regular fire drills and a current fire risk assessment. HIQA inspectors check compliance with Regulation 28 at every inspection of a designated centre.

Many nursing home residents cannot evacuate by themselves. Reduced mobility, dementia and medical dependencies all slow evacuation down. Standard fire safety approaches assume able-bodied occupants, so they fall short. Specialist consultancy addresses progressive horizontal evacuation, compartmentation, oxygen management, night-time staffing and the requirements of both HIQA and the fire authority.

PAS 79-1:2020 is the recognised specification for fire risk assessments in premises other than housing. It applies to nursing homes and other buildings where people sleep. It sets out a structured method for identifying hazards, evaluating risk and choosing the right fire safety measures. All Phoenix STS healthcare fire risk assessments follow this standard, so the result is thorough, systematic and legally defensible.

Progressive horizontal evacuation is the standard approach where residents cannot use the stairs. Instead of going down, residents move sideways into the next fire compartment on the same floor. That compartment acts as a safe refuge. The move can be repeated if the fire spreads. It depends on sound compartmentation, trained staff and well-rehearsed procedures.

Review your fire risk assessment at least once a year. Review it sooner after any significant change to the building, its layout, its use, staffing or the resident profile.

Yes. We inspect fire doors in healthcare facilities in accordance with BS 8214:2026. Every door is checked for gaps, intumescent and cold smoke seals, self-closing devices, signage and overall condition. Each door gets a clear pass, advisory or fail rating with remedial recommendations in priority order.

A nursing home needs a fire risk assessment, a fire safety policy and an emergency evacuation plan. It also needs evacuation plan drawings, fire drill records, staff training records, equipment maintenance records and fire door inspection records. A fire safety management system holds all of this together.

Yes. We deliver CPD-certified fire safety training on-site at your facility. Courses cover fire awareness, fire warden duties, extinguisher use, progressive horizontal evacuation and emergency response. All courses are tailored to healthcare and certified by the CPD Standards Office.

A typical nursing home fire risk assessment takes one full day on-site. The detailed report follows in roughly one to two weeks. Larger or more complex sites, such as multi-storey hospitals, need more time on-site. We give you a clear timeline at the initial consultation.

Yes. We provide healthcare fire safety consultancy in all 26 counties. We serve individual nursing homes, multi-site care groups, hospitals and designated centres nationwide, with BEng fire engineers based around the country.

Yes. Every engagement is backed by professional indemnity insurance. The fire risk assessments, recommendations and management systems we deliver carry full professional accountability and financial protection.