Care homes are routinely breaching fire safety legislation and putting thousands of elderly and disabled residents at risk, says a report in the Guardian.
135 care homes were the subject of enforcement action by fire and rescue services between January 2010 and March 2011, according to responses to freedom of information requests from 37 out of 46 fire services in England.
Hazards included inadequate alarms, blocked escape routes, damaged and dangerous equipment and untrained staff.
In March this year, additional guidance for operators of residential care premises was published to enhance existing government guidance. In April, a fatal accident enquiry in Scotland concluded that some or all of the deaths of 14 residents at the Rosepark care home fire in 2004 were avoidable.
July 2011