As fire detection specialist, Hochiki points out, ‘hospitals and other healthcare estates are constantly evolving environments that must be flexible enough to accommodate new layouts and changes of use, as and when required’.
The company adds: “Space is at a premium, and it is not uncommon for rooms, floors, departments, or even entire buildings, to undergo radical transformation.”
When a fire detection system is first commissioned, it is configured around a specific building layout and occupancy patterns. If these change, it is crucial to ensure that the detection system continues to do the job it was originally designed to do.
Central to this process is a fire risk assessment. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RRFSO 2005) places the onus on a designated ‘responsible person’ to carry out regular assessments to identify, manage, and reduce, the danger posed by fire. This includes making sure that the fire detection system is fit-for-purpose.
A fire risk assessment must take place prior to the change of use, and not after the event. This procedure requires a high level of skill and expertise, given that hospitals contain a wide variety of potential dangers, including heating plant, electronic equipment, radioactive materials, and confined spaces. The ability to quickly transfer patients to a place of safety in the event of a fire is another major consideration – especially those who have recently been operated on, or those in intensive care who may be attached to immovable life support equipment.
If a responsible person does not have the required competency to carry out this procedure, they should employ a specialist fire risk assessor who is suitably skilled, and has proof of competency, such as the BRE BTEC Professional Diploma in Fire Risk Assessment qualification, or third party certification via the BAFE or FRAC schemes. Professional bodies such as the Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE), the National Association of Healthcare Fire Officers (NAHFO), and the Institute of Fire Prevention Officers (IFPO), maintain registers of suitable life safety fire risk assessors.
HTM 05-01 sets out the Department of Health's policy on fire safety in the NHS, and covers a range of management strategies including the employment of competent persons and fire safety advisors. HTM 05-03 Part K also deals specifically with the risk assessment process, and it is also worth remembering that any proposed changes could require the involvement of building control officers, the fire service, and others, depending on the scope of any proposed work.
Amending and reconfiguring the fire detection system is just one outcome of a risk assessment exercise. It should always comply with HTM 05-03 part B, which in most instances requires an L1 (BS5839) addressable fire detection system. An L1 system is designed for the protection of life, and deploys automatic detectors throughout all areas of the building – including roof spaces and voids – with the aim of providing the earliest possible warning. The Firecode suite of documents produced by the Department of Health also offers complementary guidance to that provided by BS 5839.
In a change of use scenario it will often be necessary to modify the fabric of the building –
by introducing a higher level of compartmentation or static fire protection in, for example, a neonatal intensive care unit where a ‘stay-put’ policy is in place. While in the majority of cases modifications to an existing fire detection system should be minimal, in areas that will accommodate patients that are deaf or hard of hearing, it will be necessary to install combined audio and visual alarms.
It is important to remember that there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution and what is required will ultimately depend on the result of the risk assessment.
