Care Homes and Healthcare Premises

During COVID-19, staffing levels may change on a regular basis within care homes and healthcare premises. A sufficient number must be maintained to carry out your designated evacuation strategy. Progressive Horizontal Evacuation (PHE) is the most common strategy for these premises and only works if appropriate levels of staff are on duty.

A review of your fire risk assessment and emergency plan will help you to understand any changes that may be required to support your evacuation strategy. Consult your Fire Risk Assessor and make particular considerations to the PEEPs and those who are most vulnerable. You should consider, where practical, relocating occupants within the premises, minimising the number of areas in use and investigating all avenues to provide the required number of staff.

If a fire does occur in your premises, you must ensure the fire service is called at the earliest opportunity and inform the call operator that an evacuation is in progress.