Hospitals still viewed as safest environment despite rising fire incidents

Orchestrated by the British Woodworking Federation, Fire Door Safety Week focused on the ‘A False Sense of Safety’. The campaign is aiming to bridge the gap between perceived safety and actual fire risk, encouraging the public to engage in fire safety awareness and report any fire door issues, regardless of location or the assumption that fire safety is someone else’s responsibility.

When asked about fire safety in other buildings, 36% of respondents considered schools to be as safe as hospitals, while 26% felt the same about care homes. This contrasts with recent reports from the East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service where two care home directors were fined nearly £125,000 for multiple fire safety violations, which included defective fire doors and a lack of detection equipment and alarms across no fewer than four premises.

Helen Hewitt, CEO of the British Woodworking Federation, stated: “Our latest research shows that people often have a greater sense of fire safety in buildings like hospitals and schools. Regardless of where you are, it’s crucial to be aware of fire safety measures, such as emergency exits and fire doors, because the risk of fire is present in any building.”

Building safety

When considering building safety, emergency exits were cited as the most important factor in feeling safe by 75% of respondents, followed closely by visible fire safety measures, among them alarms and fire doors (70%).

Additionally, 46% of respondents said they always or very often notice fire doors in the buildings they visit. Regarding the buildings where respondents believe fire doors to be properly maintained, 47% suggest that fire doors in public buildings (such as hospitals) are indeed properly maintained.

The survey also found that 29% of individuals would not report a fire door issue because they would not know whom to contact, despite 74% saying they would report a door that appeared damaged.

It’s concerning that this represents a decline from last year’s campaign and survey, wherein 86% said they would report a faulty or propped-open fire door. For unresolved fire safety concerns, 43% would escalate the issue to the Health and Safety Executive, while 5% would not escalate it at all. Circa 14% of respondents did not know to whom they would escalate their concerns.

Hewitt added: “Fire doors are crucial in preventing the spread of fire and smoke. It’s encouraging that more people are noticing fire doors in the buildings they visit, but there’s still work to be done to ensure people feel confident in spotting and reporting fire door-related issues. Knowing who to report these problems to is key. Start with the premises manager or owner and then escalate unresolved issues as needed. With the correct information, we can all contribute towards maintaining fire safety.”

Expert maintenance

Fire doors require expert maintenance for them to remain effective. However, only 29% of respondents would trust management and 27% the building owner to handle fire door issues, while 13% would trust a ‘handyman’ and 19% a caretaker. For fire doors to function correctly, they must be installed and maintained by a competent and trained professional.

Gavin Tomlinson of the National Fire Chiefs Council said: “Fire doors are an essential feature in most buildings, helping to protect both occupants and responding firefighters in the event of a fire. When well-fitted and properly maintained, fire doors provide vital protection against the spread of fire within buildings. While legislation requires those responsible for fire safety to have arrangements for testing and maintaining fire safety measures, people should feel safe in the buildings they visit or in which they work. What’s more, they should feel empowered to report faults and raise concerns, particularly so those related to fire doors."

Referencing the ongoing importance of Fire Door Safety Week, Helen Hewitt concluded: “This campaign raises awareness of the critical role fire doors play in saving lives. Undoubtedly, the support we receive each year from individuals and businesses helps us to spread this important message.”

*For more information on Fire Door Safety Week visit www.firedoorsafetyweek.co.uk