The LWF Blog

Fire Risk Assessment for Healthcare Premises – Managing Fire Safety – Part 98

August 1, 2022 11:32 am

LWF’s blog series for healthcare professionals aims to give information on best practice of fire safety in hospitals and other healthcare premises. In part 97 of Fire Risk Assessments for Healthcare Premises, LWF looked at how potential sources of ignition can be risk-reduced in a healthcare setting. In part 98, we continue to look at ways the fire risk assessment should address limiting opportunities for ignition in healthcare premises.

Lightning Protection

It is common for most people to be unaware of the measures in place to protect a building from lightning. Healthcare premises must have adequate protection from lightning as per BS EN 62305-1-4. The standard provides guidance on the design of systems to protect structures from lightning.

It is important that lightning protection systems are fit for purpose and therefore advice should be sought from an appropriately qualified person or installer prior to installation. It is important that lightning protection systems are checked at least annually after installation by a suitably qualified person and a record of the inspections is kept by the management of the healthcare premises.

Remove or reduce sources of fuel

Wherever possible, sources of fuel should be removed from the healthcare premises. However, this is not always practical, and where removal isn’t possible, other methods of reducing the risk caused by sources of fuel to a fire are possible.

• Large areas of highly-combustible wall and ceiling linings can be removed and replaced to reduce the potential for a high rate of flame spread across the surface. Some examples of inappropriately flammable surfaces might include carpet tiles or polystyrene ceiling fixings.
• Waste and flammable materials, liquids and gases should be reduced to the bare minimum in all areas. Any remaining stock required (and no more than absolutely necessary) should be kept in storage areas suitable for purpose, preferably outside and where only authorised staff have access.
• Adequate distances between stored items should be maintained to ensure separation.
• Incompatible flammable materials should be stored separately.
• Management procedures for the safe disposal of combustible waste (including toxic and contaminated waste) should be put into operation to ensure waste build-up is not permitted and proper disposal is carried out regularly, particularly at the end of each day.
• Gas stores must be in separate buildings
• Action should be taken to ensure no part of the premises is vulnerable to arson or vandalism which may lead to fire
• In patient-access areas, furniture and textiles must comply with the guidance in HTM 05-03 Part C.

 

In Part 99 of LWF’s blog series, LWF will complete looking at the removal of sources of fuel which might contribute to a fire and begin considering sources of oxygen. In the meantime, if you have any questions about this blog, or wish to discuss your own project with one of our fire engineers, please contact us.

Lawrence Webster Forrest has been working with their clients for over 25 years to produce innovative and exciting building projects. If you would like further information on how LWF and fire strategies could assist you, please contact LWF on freephone 0800 410 1130.

While care has been taken to ensure that information contained in LWF’s publications is true and correct at the time of publication, changes in circumstances after the time of publication may impact on the accuracy of this information.