The safety of care home and sheltered housing residents is still at risk as little action has been taken since the Grenfell Tower fire tragedy in June, according to new research commissioned by the British Woodworking Federation.

The research, released to mark Fire Door Safety Week (25 September - 1 October), revealed that, since the fire in the West London block which killed around 80 people, just 10% of social landlords and 23% of private landlords have been in touch with tenants in person to discuss fire safety measures.

The study was conducted by Atomik Research and surveyed 1,000 renters, aged 18-65, across the UK in August 2017. The research concluded that basic fire safety measures are lacking, with 40% of renters saying there is not a clear fire escape route displayed in their building, and 39% admitted that they have seen fire doors propped open.

The report stated that 21% have noticed damage to their building’s fire doors and 18% of renters have reported a fire safety infringement or concern to their landlord but 24% waited weeks for a response.

The majority of tenants (55%) say they do not feel fully prepared on what to do in the event of a fire and 24% of adults surveyed feel more nervous/anxious about living in a rented apartment since the tragedy and the issues it exposed with regard to fire safety.

This Fire Door Safety Week, the British Woodworking Federation (BWF) has put together a free toolkit of resources to provide information and fire safety advice, including a downloadable ‘Responsible Person’ poster. Further information for care home and sheltered housing providers can be found at www.firedoorsafetyweek.co.uk/care-homes-and-sheltered-housing/

Hannah Mansell is spokesperson for Fire Door Safety Week, as well as BWF technical manager, Chair of the Passive Fire Protection Forum and a trustee of the Children’s Burns Trust.

Hannah said: “This new research shows that landlords and building owners still have a long way to go to meet their fire safety responsibilities.

“Checking fire doors should be part of a regular fire risk assessment. This should examine all aspects of fire safety management, including active and passive fire protection measures, signage, means of escape and the specific fire plan procedures.
 
“There needs to be crystal clarity about the Responsible Person and a total transformation of attitude towards fire safety of tenants in rented accommodation.”

Fire Door Safety Week, a national campaign now in its fifth year, is run by the BWF, the BWF-Certifire Scheme and the Fire Door Inspection Scheme, in partnership with the Government’s Fire Kills campaign. It aims to raise awareness about the role of fire doors in preventing life-changing injuries and the legal responsibilities of managing fire door safety.

www.firedoorsafetyweek.co.uk