A survey of 2,000 adults has found that despite an 18% increase in fires across NHS Trusts – averaging nearly four fires daily – 52% of people still consider hospitals the safest due to their fire prevention measures.
The survey, conducted as part of this year’s British Woodworking Federation’s Fire Door Safety Week campaign, which runs from September 23–27, focuses on the theme ‘A False Sense of Safety’. The campaign aims to bridge the gap between perceived safety and actual fire risk, encouraging the public to engage in fire safety awareness and report any fire door issues, regardless of location or the assumption that fire safety is someone else’s responsibility.
Helen Hewitt, CEO of the British Woodworking Federation (BWF) that manages and funds Fire Door Safety Week, says: “Our latest research shows that people often have a greater sense of fire safety in buildings like schools and hospitals. Regardless of where you are, it is crucial to be aware of fire safety measures, such as emergency exits and fire doors, because the risk of fire is present in any building.”
The research also shows that although most people recognised the importance of fire doors, less than 50% take notice of them, and 29% said they would not report a fire door issue because they would no know who to contact.
This is a concerning decline from last year’s campaign, ‘Recognise it, Report it’, where 86% said they would report a faulty or propped-open fire door. For unresolved fire safety concerns, 43% would escalate the issue to the Health and Safety Executive, while 5% would not escalate it at all, and 14% did not know who they would escalate it to.
Empowering action
Helen continues: “Fire doors are crucial in preventing the spread of fire and smoke. It’s encouraging that more people are noticing fire doors in the buildings they visit, but there’s still work to be done to ensure people feel confident in spotting and reporting fire door issues. Knowing who to report these problems to is key – start with the premises manager or owner, and escalate unresolved issues as needed. With the correct information, we can all contribute to maintaining fire safety.”
Gavin Tomlinson, Protection and Business Safety Scrutiny Committee Chair of the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC), adds: “When well-fitted and properly maintained, fire doors provide vital protection against the spread of fire within buildings. While legislation requires those responsible for fire safety to have arrangements for testing and maintaining fire safety measures, people should feel safe in the buildings they visit or work in, and they should feel empowered to report faults and raise concerns, particularly those related to fire doors."
Free webinar programme
A series of webinars, free to attend for anyone, are taking place throughout Fire Door Safety Week, providing insight into crucial fire door safety topics:
• Monday, September 23 at 2pm – Common issues surrounding fire doors
• Tuesday, September 24 at 11am – Fire doors in the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 2 report
• Friday, September 27 at 11am – Fire doors – a fire service perspective
