Fire Safety Regulations in Care Homes: A Complete UK Guide

The Legal Framework

Fire safety in UK care homes is governed by two key pieces of legislation.

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 is the primary law covering all non-domestic premises in England and Wales. It places a legal duty on the “responsible person” — typically the owner, operator, or manager of the care home — to assess and manage fire risks on an ongoing basis.

The Fire Safety Act 2021 strengthened this framework by clarifying that fire risk assessments must cover the building’s structure, external walls (including cladding), and flat entrance doors. For care homes operating within larger mixed-use buildings, this is particularly important.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) also enforces fire safety compliance through its Fundamental Standards, specifically Regulation 12 (Safe Care and Treatment). Inspectors will review your fire risk assessment, evacuation procedures, and staff training records. A failure in fire safety can directly impact your CQC rating.

Who Is the ‘Responsible Person’?

Under the Fire Safety Order, the responsible person is whoever has control of the premises. In a care home this is typically the registered owner or manager. Their legal duties include:

• Carrying out and regularly reviewing a suitable fire risk assessment
• Implementing fire prevention and protection measures identified in that assessment
• Ensuring fire safety equipment is installed, maintained, and tested
• Providing fire safety training to all staff
• Appointing competent fire wardens and ensuring all staff know who they are
• Keeping records of all fire drills, equipment tests, and training
• Consulting with the local fire authority for guidance where necessary

Failure to meet these duties can result in prosecution, an unlimited fine, and up to two years in prison.

Fire Risk Assessments

Every care home must have a detailed, written, and up-to-date fire risk assessment. This is not a one-time exercise — it must be reviewed whenever there are significant changes to the building, its use, or its occupancy, and at regular intervals regardless.

While the law does not require a professional assessor in all cases, care homes are high-risk environments and it is strongly advisable to use a qualified fire risk assessor, particularly one familiar with residential care settings. The relevant standard to look for is PAS 79-2:2020, which specifically covers fire risk assessments in housing.
A thorough fire risk assessment for a care home should:

• Identify all potential ignition sources, fuel sources, and means of fire spread
• Evaluate the vulnerability of residents, particularly those with mobility, sensory, or cognitive impairments
• Assess the adequacy of existing detection, warning, and suppression systems
• Consider the building’s construction, age, and compartmentation
• Set out clearly what actions need to be taken, by whom, and by when
• Be formally recorded and made available to staff and the fire authority

The government publishes specific guidance on fire safety risk assessments in residential care premises, which is freely available on GOV.UK.

Fire Detection and Warning Systems

An effective fire detection and warning system is the first line of defence in a care home. The system must be suitable for the building’s layout and the needs of its residents.

Typical components include smoke detectors, heat detectors, manual call points, and audible alarms. The system should be divided into zones corresponding to areas of the building, with each zone clearly mapped on a fire panel. This allows staff and firefighters to identify where an alarm has been triggered and respond appropriately.

The 2006 government guidance recommends that each zone or compartment should be capable of evacuation within two and a half minutes — a particularly demanding standard in care settings.

For residents with hearing or visual impairments, standard audible alarms may be insufficient. Vibrating pillow pads, visual strobes, and other specialist alerting devices should be considered, and Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPs) must be in place for any resident who cannot evacuate independently.

All detection and alarm systems must be regularly tested and maintained in line with BS 5839, the British Standard for fire detection and alarm systems.

Fire Suppression Systems

Care homes often operate a “stay put” or “defend in place” policy for residents who cannot easily be moved, which places a greater burden on the building’s passive and active fire protection. For this reason, fire suppression systems play a particularly important role in care settings.

Automatic Fire Suppression Systems (AFSS) are not universally mandatory in UK care homes, but they are increasingly expected — and may be required depending on the outcome of your fire risk assessment, your building’s age and construction, or the requirements of your local fire authority or insurer. New-build care homes and those undergoing major refurbishment are more likely to require them.

When choosing a suppression system, it is worth understanding the difference between traditional sprinkler systems and high-pressure water mist systems. Traditional sprinklers discharge large volumes of water, which can cause significant secondary damage to the building and residents’ belongings. Water mist systems, by contrast, use far less water and work through a combination of mechanisms: micro-droplets cool the immediate area, suppress smoke production, and deprive the fire of oxygen — containing the fire at an early stage while minimising collateral damage.

This makes water mist systems particularly well-suited to care homes, where the priority is containing a fire long enough for residents to be safely evacuated and emergency services to arrive, without causing unnecessary disruption or damage to the living environment.

Emergency Lighting and Escape Routes

All escape routes must be kept clear, well-signed, and adequately lit at all times. In the event of a fire, the mains power supply may fail, so emergency lighting — which activates automatically on power loss — is essential.
Emergency lighting and exit signage must comply with BS 5266 and should be tested and maintained regularly. Records of testing must be kept.
Escape routes should be designed with the specific needs of care home residents in mind. Corridors must be wide enough to accommodate mobility aids and evacuation equipment. Stairwells used as part of the evacuation route should have refuges — safe holding points where residents can wait for assistance.

Evacuation Procedures and PEEPs

Given the vulnerability of care home residents, evacuation planning must go well beyond a standard building evacuation. A progressive horizontal evacuation approach is commonly used in care homes, where residents are moved to an adjacent fire compartment rather than immediately out of the building, buying time for a controlled evacuation.

Every resident who requires assistance to evacuate must have a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP). A PEEP is an individual document that sets out exactly how that resident will be evacuated, what equipment is needed, and who is responsible. PEEPs should be reviewed regularly and updated whenever a resident’s condition changes.

Fire drills should be conducted at least twice a year, with at least one taking place at night when staffing levels are lower. All drills must be recorded, including the date, time, number of staff and residents involved, how long the evacuation took, and any issues identified.

Staff Training Requirements

Under the CQC’s Fundamental Standards, all care home staff must receive fire safety training. The relevant code of practice, BS 9999, recommends that this training is refreshed at least annually.
Training must cover:

• How to raise the alarm
• Evacuation procedures, including the use of evacuation equipment such as evacuation chairs and ski sheets
• The location and correct use of firefighting equipment
• How to assist residents with varying levels of mobility and cognitive ability
• The role and identity of fire wardens

Fire wardens must receive additional training covering how to check areas for remaining occupants, how to liaise with the fire service on arrival, and how to manage the evacuation assembly point.

Training records must be kept and made available to the CQC and fire authority on request.

Fire Safety Equipment and Maintenance

Care homes should have appropriate firefighting equipment in place, including fire extinguishers suitable for the types of fire risk present, fire blankets in kitchen areas, and any other equipment identified in the fire risk assessment.

All equipment must be regularly inspected and maintained by a competent person. Servicing intervals vary by equipment type but should follow the manufacturer’s guidance and relevant British Standards. A log of all inspections, tests, and maintenance work must be kept.

It is equally important that staff know where equipment is located and how to use it correctly — but the priority in any fire situation is always safe evacuation, not firefighting.

Penalties for Non-Compliance

The consequences of failing to meet your fire safety obligations as a care home operator are severe.

Under the Fire Safety Order, enforcement action can be taken by the local fire and rescue authority, which may issue an enforcement notice requiring specific improvements, or in serious cases a prohibition notice restricting or closing the premises immediately.

Criminal prosecution can result in an unlimited fine and up to two years in prison for the responsible person. The CQC may also take regulatory action, including placing conditions on registration, issuing warning notices, or cancelling a provider’s registration entirely.

Beyond the legal consequences, a fire in a care home can have devastating human consequences — and the reputational damage to a provider can be irreparable.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do care homes need sprinklers by law in the UK?
Automatic fire suppression systems are not universally mandatory in existing UK care homes, but they are required in many new builds and major refurbishments, and your local fire authority or insurer may require them based on your risk assessment. They are strongly recommended in all care settings.

How often must fire risk assessments be reviewed in care homes?
There is no fixed legal interval, but assessments must be reviewed whenever there is a significant change to the premises, its use, or its occupants — and it is good practice to review them at least annually regardless.

How often should fire drills be held in care homes?
At least twice a year, with at least one drill conducted during night-time hours to reflect reduced staffing levels.

What is a PEEP and who needs one?
A Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan is a written plan for any resident who cannot evacuate independently. It covers how they will be evacuated, what equipment is required, and who is responsible. Every resident with mobility, sensory, or cognitive impairments should have one.

What happens if a care home fails a CQC fire safety inspection?
The CQC can issue warning notices, place conditions on registration, or in serious cases cancel a provider’s registration. The local fire authority can also issue enforcement or prohibition notices independently.

What is the difference between a sprinkler system and a water mist system?
Traditional sprinkler systems discharge large volumes of water, which can cause significant secondary damage. Water mist systems use far less water, suppress fire through a combination of cooling, smoke reduction, and oxygen displacement, and are generally considered better suited to care home environments.

Speak to a Fire Suppression Specialist

Fire safety compliance in a care home is complex, and the consequences of getting it wrong are serious. If you’d like to discuss fire suppression options for your care home — including whether a water mist system is right for your building — contact the iMist team at sales@imist.co.uk or request a free quotation.

This guide is intended for general information purposes. For advice specific to your premises, always consult your local fire authority, a qualified fire risk assessor, and relevant regulatory bodies.