Changes to regulations mean sprinklers must now be included in new buildings but not existing care homes. By Will Mann and Cristina Lago.
A CIOB fellow who called for reform of care home fire regulations has welcomed a rule change that requires sprinklers to be fitted in new-build developments – but says the campaign is not over.
Steven Miles and his wife Claire, whose mother died in a care home fire in 2017, argued that care homes should be classified as ‘higher-risk buildings’ under the Building Safety Act and that sprinklers should be mandatory. They lobbied the government following the tragedy at Newgrange Care Home in Hertfordshire, where two residents died in the fire, supported by CIOB.
Ministers responded by publishing a consultation in 2022 to amend Approved Document B of the building regulations. After reviewing the responses, the government announced last month that sprinklers will now become mandatory in all new care homes in England irrespective of height from 2 March 2025.
New care homes will also be expected to limit compartment sizes to 10 beds while ensuring self-closing devices are fitted to doors.
“This is a positive change, which we welcome,” said Steven and Claire Miles in a statement. “But our campaign is for sprinkler systems to be installed in all care homes – including existing developments – and for all care homes to be classified as ‘higher-risk buildings’, regardless of height. This campaign will continue.”
They highlighted a comment from Grenfell Inquiry chair Sir Martin Moore-Bick that the definition of a higher-risk building in the Building Safety Act focused on height, rather than the presence of vulnerable people, and that this should be “reviewed”.
Support for campaign
The Mileses told CM that they recently met with their new MP for Harlow, Chris Vince, who is supporting their goals, as did his predecessor Robert Halfon.
CIOB has also backed the Mileses’ campaign, writing to then communities secretary Michael Gove about fire safety rules for care homes.
“The regulations changes on sprinklers in new care homes is very welcome news, but we will continue to support Steven and Claire Miles in their campaign aims,” said Eddie Tuttle, CIOB director of policy, research and public affairs.
Building safety minister Rushanara Ali said: “Many care home providers already include sprinklers in new designs. For those that do not yet provide for sprinklers, again, I recognise that businesses and investors seek certainty.
“So, care home owners and developers will benefit from a six-month transition period until the guidance comes into effect and will then have a further six months to enable work on current development projects that are underway, or about to start, to continue.”
Having witnessed the daily workings of a care home over the last 14months, I think the compartmentalisation, related zonal-operation of the sprinklers and ready access to protected means of escape are all considerations to be balanced along with staff:resident numbers. ‘Vulnerability’ of the residents comes in multiple shades viz mobility, sight, hearing, mental capacity and combinations thereof. I fear for evacuation times from elevated floor levels esp for those immobile, ‘vulnerable’ residents who’ll each need one or more staff members (or first responders) to facilitate evacuation.
This has been mooted for at least 20 years we will probably still be talking about it for another 10.
When I worked for Greenwich Council we retrofitted sprinklers very successfully but it is not cheap, govt finance and conflicting priorities don’t help but no excuse for new build.