Fire prevention in hospitals and healthcare centres is even more important than in many other premises, due to the presence of vulnerable and, in many cases, immobile patients.
With a large number of patients in a confined area, typically over multiple storeys, evacuation can be complex and time-consuming. Hospital sprinkler systems provide precious extra minutes to get everybody out safely and extinguish the fire.
Automatic fire sprinkler systems are highly effective, activating as designed in 94% of incidents and controlling fires with 99% reliability. They help to prevent the spread of fire and minimise damage and disruption, allowing critical healthcare to continue.
Base Fire Sprinklers have the experience needed to design, install, and maintain hospital sprinkler systems while taking into account the unique challenges presented by healthcare environments.
I would like to compliment the engineers that we have met on site who have completed the servicing and repair works on the systems....I cannot find one area where I would be unhappy with the service we have received.
Jack Newell, Weaver Vale Housing Trust
Hospital Fires in Figures
Every year in England, the Fire and Rescue Services attend over 500 fires in hospitals and medical care premises. Home Office figures show some improvement in this number during the pandemic, but in recent years this has started to increase again:
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638 in 2018-19
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653 in 2019-20
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502 in 2020-21
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529 in 2021-22
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543 in 2022-23
About a third of these fires are started on purpose in a typical year. In the most recent data, for 2022-23, this increased to nearly 40%. Healthcare operators not only need to reduce the risk of accidental fire, but they also need to put in place systems to tackle deliberate arson.
Unfortunately, there is a human cost associated with hospital fires. In 2022-23 an accidental fire in a healthcare facility led to the first fatality since 2018-19. The year also saw 39 non-fatal fire casualties, of which 30 occurred during deliberate fires.
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Why Install Sprinkler Systems?
Hospital and healthcare sprinkler systems offer fast, automatic suppression of fires in medical environments, containing the flames within a single area and ensuring evacuation routes remain passable for longer.
Where possible, sprinklers will extinguish the blaze entirely. Even where this cannot be achieved, the dispensed water mist can lower temperatures, suppress smoke, and stop the fire from spreading to nearby rooms.
The total risk to patients and staff is reduced, the damage and disruption is minimised, and the time and cost of repair work is significantly lower as a result.
Concealed sprinkler heads can be hidden behind smooth cover plates that pop off automatically when the sprinkler activates, for a more aesthetically pleasing appearance in patient-focused healthcare settings.
Protecting
What
Matters
For All Residential Buildings
Designing the Best Hospital Sprinkler Systems
At Base Fire Sprinklers we put our best into every project, designing and installing sprinklers, pipework and water storage tanks to deliver adequate pressure for long enough to evacuate patients and personnel.
We use cutting-edge CAD software to create a virtual model of your sprinkler system ahead of installation, and FHC Canute to calculate water pressure and flow rates to each individual sprinkler head.
This allows us to provide sprinkler systems that meet BSEN 12845 Standards - and more importantly, sprinklers that you know will work when you need them.
Reducing the Rate of Hospital Fires
Not all fires in NHS premises occur in hospitals or demand an emergency services response. A Freedom of Information request by the Liberal Democrats revealed that in 2022, the NHS recorded a total of 1,159 fires across all of its properties.
Out of 83 NHS Trusts who responded directly to the request, there were 294 fires reported within hospitals specifically. The same NHS Trusts reported a total of 337 broken fire alarms across their estates.
Proper maintenance of fire safety systems is essential if they are to function correctly in an emergency. That's why Base Fire Sprinklers not only design and install highly efficient sprinkler systems, but also offer fire sprinkler maintenance for hospitals and healthcare facilities.
Contact Base Fire Sprinklers
If you manage a hospital, healthcare facility or any other medical premises, we can help you to improve your fire safety with the installation of automatic sprinklers.
We design sprinkler systems for hospital wards and other patient areas, as well as residential care homes and back offices. All enquiries are welcome, no matter the size or complexity of your estate.
To speak to one of our experienced engineers, email info@basesprinklers.co.uk or call us. You can also fill in our online contact form for a quick reply from a member of our team.