Fire safety for nursing homes.Properly assessed, from £295.
A nursing home carries everything a residential care home carries, and then adds medical equipment, oxygen therapy, and residents who are genuinely non-ambulant and medically dependent. Moving a resident who is on oxygen, in a profiling bed, and cannot bear weight requires specific planning, specific equipment, and enough trained staff to do it safely in the dark. We carry out fire risk assessments for nursing homes and care with nursing across the North West and North Wales, built around the clinical reality of the residents you care for.
Who is the Responsible Person?
In a nursing home the duty sits with the registered provider, and the CQC registration category is distinct from residential care.
The registered provider is the Responsible Person under fire safety law. For a nursing home registered for nursing care, the provider holds the duty across the whole premises, and the board carries ultimate accountability.
The registered manager and clinical lead share operational responsibility for fire safety, including the maintenance of PEEPs for every resident who needs one, and ensuring that night staffing is adequate to deliver them under real emergency conditions.
A nursing home is registered with the CQC for personal care and nursing care as distinct regulated activities. The nursing care registration brings additional inspection scrutiny around the safety and clinical governance of the home.
Where oxygen is piped or stored in significant quantities, DSEAR may apply alongside the fire safety order, requiring a risk assessment of the oxygen system and its interaction with ignition sources in the building.
The problems we
hear most often
Fire safety in a nursing home is managed by the registered manager and clinical lead alongside complex clinical and governance demands. These are the gaps we find most regularly.
"Several of our residents are non-ambulant and on oxygen. Moving them in a real emergency would require multiple staff and specialist equipment. I am not confident we could do it."
A resident who is non-ambulant, on oxygen, and in a profiling bed is one of the most challenging evacuation scenarios in any premises. Moving them requires specific evacuation equipment such as ski-sheets or evacuation mattresses, a minimum number of trained staff, and a route that can accommodate the equipment. We assess every such resident and the practicality of their evacuation under realistic conditions, and advise on what equipment and training gaps exist.
"Our oxygen storage is in a ground floor cupboard next to the laundry. I have always been uncomfortable about that arrangement but nobody has formally assessed it."
Oxygen dramatically accelerates fire spread and intensity, and its storage location relative to ignition sources and escape routes is a specific fire safety concern that generic assessments frequently miss. Where cylinders are stored in significant quantities, DSEAR may apply alongside the fire safety order. We assess your oxygen storage specifically and advise on what is required.
"A CQC inspection flagged our fire safety under the safe domain, and we need to demonstrate improvement with documented evidence before the next visit."
CQC inspection under the safe domain examines fire safety documentation, PEEP adequacy, and staff training records alongside clinical governance. We produce documentation specifically structured to address a CQC safe domain finding, with a clear action log and evidence of what has been done, in a format the inspector can follow and rely on.
What makes nursing homes
different to assess
A nursing home's resident profile makes it one of the most demanding premises for evacuation planning. Every hazard is amplified by the clinical dependency of the people being cared for.
Complete dependence on staff for evacuation
Residents who cannot bear weight, cannot be transferred without hoisting, or who are in a profiling bed represent the most staff-intensive evacuation scenario in any premises. The assessment has to address every such resident individually and test whether the staffing and equipment available can actually deliver their evacuation.
Cylinders, concentrators and piped systems
Oxygen is present in most nursing homes in significant quantities, from portable cylinders at bedsides to concentrators and in some homes piped systems. Oxygen dramatically accelerates fire spread and intensity, and its storage and use must be specifically assessed. Where stored quantities trigger DSEAR, a zone classification and aligned risk assessment are required.
Equipment that cannot be quickly moved
Powered profiling beds, ceiling track hoists, and other major equipment cannot be moved in an emergency. The evacuation plan has to work around fixed equipment, and the route from a resident's bed to a place of safety must be assessed for the actual equipment in the room.
Pharmaceutical fire load
Nursing homes hold pharmaceuticals, controlled drugs, and clinical waste in quantities that add to the fire load and require specific storage, segregation, and management. Their location relative to escape routes and ignition sources is a specific assessment consideration.
A critical evacuation constraint
Nursing homes operate 24 hours a day and may have very limited qualified nursing staff at night. The evacuation of non-ambulant residents under night staffing levels is the most critical test of the assessment's practicality, and it is the scenario that most assessments fail to genuinely address.
Multi-wing, multi-floor
Larger nursing homes often occupy purpose-built or substantially extended premises with multiple wings or floors, each with its own evacuation strategy. The assessment must cover every wing and every floor, and the interaction between them.
Evacuating a non-ambulant resident on oxygen — what the assessment has to address
A resident who is non-ambulant, on oxygen, and in a powered profiling bed is the hardest evacuation scenario in any care premises. It requires specific equipment, a minimum number of trained staff who know how to use it, a route from the bed to a place of safety that the equipment can traverse, and enough time within the available fire resistance of the compartment to do it safely. We assess every non-ambulant resident and the practicality of their evacuation under realistic staffing, as the core of the nursing home fire risk assessment.
Three services.
One point of contact.
Fire risk assessments, fire door inspections, and fire safety training, delivered by one company that understands the clinical complexity of a nursing home and the dual regulatory framework.
Fire risk assessments
From £295 per assessmentA thorough, clinically informed assessment covering every resident's evacuation needs, medical oxygen and DSEAR, night staffing adequacy, and compartmentation. Written report suitable for the CQC safe domain and the fire authority.
- Every resident's evacuation needs assessed individually
- Non-ambulant resident evacuation tested against realistic staffing
- Medical oxygen storage and DSEAR position assessed
- Profiling bed and hoist arrangements covered
- Compartmentation and fire door integrity reviewed
- Written report suitable for CQC safe domain and fire authority
Fire door inspections
From £14 per doorFire door integrity in a nursing home is the primary building safeguard for non-ambulant residents who cannot be moved immediately. Every door failure reduces the time available for a staff-intensive evacuation. We inspect every component with photographic evidence.
- Frame, leaf, intumescent seals, hinges & hardware
- Self-closing devices and smoke seals
- Bedroom, corridor, and compartmentation doors
- Photographic evidence per door
- Prioritised remedial recommendations
Fire safety training
From £395 per sessionPractical fire safety training for nursing staff and care assistants, focused on evacuating non-ambulant residents, using evacuation equipment, and managing the specific challenges of a nursing home at night.
- Fire marshal training for nursing and care staff
- Evacuation of non-ambulant residents using ski-sheets and evacuation mattresses
- Managing oxygen-dependent residents in an emergency
- Night-shift evacuation scenarios
- Certificates issued to all attendees
The framework
nursing homes work within
A nursing home answers to the fire authority, the CQC under both personal and nursing care registrations, and where oxygen is stored in significant quantities, to DSEAR.
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 applies to all nursing homes as non-domestic premises with sleeping accommodation. The standard of suitable and sufficient for a nursing home is demanding, because the resident profile means that evacuation cannot be assumed. The assessment must address every non-ambulant resident individually and test the realism of the evacuation plan.
CQC Regulation 15 requires premises used for regulated activities to be safe and suitable. A nursing home registered for both personal and nursing care faces inspection scrutiny across both registration categories. Fire safety is examined under the safe domain, and serious failures can result in conditions on registration or cancellation. The CQC's safe domain specifically considers whether equipment, including evacuation equipment, is available and staff trained to use it.
Where oxygen is stored or used in significant quantities, the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002 (DSEAR) may apply alongside the fire safety order, requiring a risk assessment of the oxygen arrangements and zone classification around storage areas. The fire risk assessment must be aligned with any DSEAR assessment for the premises.
Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
Always appliesRequires a suitable and sufficient assessment for all non-domestic premises including nursing homes. A higher standard than residential care given the dependency of residents. Failure can result in unlimited fines or prohibition.
CQC Regulation 15
Always appliesPremises used for regulated activities must be safe and suitable. Fire safety is examined under the safe domain. Failures can result in conditions on registration or cancellation.
DSEAR 2002
Where oxygen is storedMay apply where oxygen is stored or used in significant quantities. Requires risk assessment of the oxygen arrangements and zone classification. Must be aligned with the fire risk assessment.
BS 9792:2025
Current standardThe current British Standard for fire risk assessment, addressing person-centred approaches in care settings. Alignment carries credibility with the CQC and the fire authority.
Experience you can
put in a report.
Tim founded Fletcher Risk Management to bring genuine expertise and personal accountability to fire safety consultancy in the North West. With more than 30 years in the fire industry, he has assessed nursing homes and care with nursing across the region. He understands what it means to assess a home where residents cannot evacuate themselves, and what a realistic, honest assessment of the overnight staffing and evacuation equipment looks like. When you book with Fletcher Risk, Tim carries out the work.
- ABBE Level 4 Diploma in Fire Risk Assessment
- NEBOSH National General Certificate
- FPA Fire Safety Management Certificate
- Member — Fire Protection Association
Sam oversees operations and brings both fire safety qualifications and a legal background to the practice. For care providers navigating CQC action plans alongside fire authority requirements, Sam's LLB gives him a thorough understanding of where those frameworks interact, and how to produce documentation that satisfies both.
- ABBE Level 4 Certificate in Fire Risk Assessment
- Bachelor of Laws (LLB)
- Master of Business Administration (MBA)
- 10+ years fire safety experience
"We have engaged Fletcher Risk Management to carry out surveys on a number of our sites for a very important client. The work produced exceeded our expectations by far. I would definitely recommend using this company." — Marie Morgan · EIS Ltd ★★★★★
"Without doubt one of the best and most professional businesses I have used for our Fire Risk Assessment. Tim Fletcher is a highly regarded professional in his field. Don't take a chance — protect your staff, protect your building."
"We have engaged Fletcher Risk Management to carry out surveys on a number of our sites. I would never hesitate to send Tim — always professional, friendly and accommodating. The work exceeded our expectations."
"Thorough, professional, and excellent value. The report was clear and the action points prioritised in a way that made it easy to know exactly what to tackle first. Would recommend without hesitation."
Book an assessment
built for your nursing home.
Whether you are responding to a CQC safe domain finding, reviewing your oxygen arrangements, or need to demonstrate compliant PEEPs for every non-ambulant resident, we can help. Call us for an honest conversation with no obligation.