Care home laundry rooms are a significant and frequently underestimated fire risk. Tumble dryer lint build-up is a leading cause of fires in care settings. The laundry room must also function as a fire compartment with self-closing fire doors and fire-stopped service penetrations.
Why this matters
Dryer fires typically start inside the drum or lint trap and spread rapidly through accumulated lint in the ductwork. A fire that starts in an uncompartmented laundry room can reach a sleeping corridor in under two minutes. HSE and NFCC both identify laundry rooms as elevated-risk areas requiring specific controls.
What to do
- 1Ensure lint filters are cleaned after every cycle this is an operational requirement, not a maintenance one, and must appear in staff procedures.
- 2Commission an annual internal duct clean for all tumble dryers by a specialist contractor and retain the completion report.
- 3Confirm the laundry room fire door is self-closing, FD30S rated and included in your six-monthly fire door inspection schedule.
- 4Check that any service penetrations in laundry room walls and ceiling are fire-stopped with certificated materials.
Primary source
NFCC Fire Safety Guidance for Care Homes
Get the full picture every morning.
Briefing is updated daily. Join early access to unlock every article.