CareHomeDeskCareHomeDeskProgressive horizontal evacuation, PEEPs, and what your staff must be able to do at 3am.
Care homes use progressive horizontal evacuation (PHE) rather than simultaneous evacuation. Residents are moved horizontally through fire-rated compartment doors into adjacent protected areas on the same floor, rather than immediately evacuating vertically to outside. This strategy depends entirely on the integrity of fire compartmentation -- particularly fire doors and walls.
Every resident must have a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP) documented in their care plan. The PEEP records their specific mobility status, cognitive capacity, equipment needs (wheelchair, hoist), number of staff required to move them, and the evacuation method to use. PEEPs must be reviewed when a resident's condition changes and must be accessible to night staff.
The FRA must model worst-case evacuation -- typically 3am with minimum staffing. If the required number of staff to evacuate all residents safely exceeds night-time staffing levels, this is a critical finding that must be resolved. Solutions include waking watches, enhanced night cover, or engineering controls (upgraded compartmentation, sprinklers) that extend the time available.
Fire evacuation drills must be carried out at least twice yearly, including at least one outside normal working hours. All staff must complete fire safety training on induction and at least annually. Training and drill records -- including who attended, what was practised and any learning outcomes -- are a routine request during CQC inspection.
CareHomeDesk gives you compliance checklists, maintenance logs, and contractor management tools built around exactly this kind of knowledge.