Fire Safety for Childminders and Day-Care Providers

This guidance note has been prepared with the objective of informing childcare providers about the fire safety standards that inspectors will expect providers to achieve. It is in the interest of childcare providers and their clients that a high standard of fire safety is maintained in all childcare facilities.

This guidance is also relevant for persons who are considering applying for registration and establishes a common basic standard of fire precautions for domestic dwellings which are being used for childminding activities.

The Childcare Register issued by Ofsted for childcare in domestic and non-domestic premises states the following requirements: “The responsible person must ensure that the children receiving childcare are kept safe from harm” and “The registered person must undertake a risk assessment of the premises and equipment at least once in each calendar year, and immediately, where the need for an assessment arises. The registered person must ensure that all necessary measures are taken to minimise any identified risks” which includes potential harm caused by fire and fire safety risks.

Onerous measures don’t necessarily need to be taken, but an adequate assessment of the hazards must be carried out. Once identified, risks should be reduced to an acceptable level or ideally removed completely, if possible.

The two main types of childcare facilities are:

• Day-care providers – Full day care, sessional day care, out-of-school care and crèches may reside within non-domestic premises.
• Childminding that takes place in domestic premises.

Fire safety measures to consider for all types of premises:

• Suitable and sufficient arrangements for early detection of fire should be in place
• A well-rehearsed emergency plan will allow for safe evacuation once the alarm is raised
• Ensure there are adequate arrangements in place for maintaining fire safety equipment
• Staff must be trained in how to respond to emergencies
• Ensuring that escape routes are clear and free from trip hazards
• Establishing how they raise the alarm in the event of a fire
• An evacuation plan stating where the external assembly point is
• How to call the fire brigade in the event of a fire and who will liaise with fire crews when they arrive onsite.

Multi-Occupied Non-Domestic Premises

If your childcare premises shares a building with other businesses or if the premises is used for different purposes at different times, for example, a creche in an office building or a nursey in a community centre, and where the occupier and building owner are two different entities, there are increased requirements for cooperation and coordination between responsible persons. This would also include a landlord or managing agent.

These premises will be subject to the requirements set out in the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, so where a fire risk assessment already exists for the premises, it should be reviewed to take the childcare facility into account. You will need to coordinate your planning with other responsible persons. You may ask to view any existing fire risk assessments and the emergency plan for the premises and consider how it relates to your childcare facility.

More information on enhanced requirements for cooperation and coordination between responsible persons

Non-Domestic Premises used for Childminding Activities

These premises are also subject to the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 therefore, a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment must be completed by a competent person and should be considered acceptable by the Ofsted inspectors.

When implementing or reviewing a fire risk assessment, you should consider:

• The location of the childcare facility within the premises. Ideally, it should be on the ground floor with an exit directly to the outside of the building. If this is not possible, then it should be located as near to the ground floor as possible.
• The layout of the childcare facility should allow for a safe escape. Cooking and heating facilities should be sited away from the exits.
• There should be adequate exits for the childcare facility. Fire doors protecting escape routes should be self-closing and fire resisting. Escape route doors and exit doors should be easily opened without the need of a key.
• Escape routes should be free of obstruction and adequately lit.
• Adequate signage must direct persons through the escape routes and also, point out any alternative routes.
• Additional automatic fire detection may be required to ensure adequate early detection and warning of fire. If a stage two fire alarm system is installed, the evacuation of the children should commence on the first-stage alert.
• Sufficient numbers of trained staff should be available to assist with a safe and efficient evacuation, considering the need to support or carry children. Parents should also be advised of the procedures including the location of the assembly point.
• There should be an induction process for new staff and regular training and fire drills for all staff and children. Mop up sessions are useful if members of staff miss out on training days. The importance of keeping fire doors closed should be emphasised in these sessions.
• Training should include the means of raising the alarm in the event of a fire, the evacuation plan, the location of the external assembly point and how to call the fire brigade. It also helps to have someone liaise with the fire service when they arrive so appropriate information can be handed over in a timely manner.
• If firefighting equipment is provided, then a suitable number of staff should be trained in its use. • Fire safety procedures and notices should be written and displayed free of obstruction to provide information to staff and visitors around emergency plans.

Domestic Dwellings Used for Childminding Activities

In this case, a fire risk assessment will still be required, but will not be as onerous as one for a non-domestic premises. The childminder must ensure they undertake any training they may need in regard to fire safety to ensure they are competent enough to carry out their own risk assessment. It is important that childminders know what to do in the event of a fire and they must make a fire plan. This should include the below steps:

Escape Routes

It is important a homely and non-institutional environment is maintained when childminding. However, few provisions are necessary beyond ensuring that each habitable room likely to be used for childminding either opens directly into a hallway or stair leading to the main entrance of the dwelling, or it has a door through which escape could be made. All exits required for escape purposes should be easily openable by adults, preferably without the use of a key.

Newly constructed premises should automatically comply as they will have been subjected to the requirements for structural fire precautions and means of escape under the Building Regulations.

In existing premises, care will be needed to ensure that areas used for child minding are not inner rooms without the adequate safeguards.

An inner room is where the only escape route is through another room (the access room). Occupants of the inner room may be at risk of a fire occurring in the access room. An arrangement such as this is only acceptable if the inner room is:

• A kitchen
• A laundry or utility room
• A dressing room
• Bathroom, WC, or shower room
• Any other room on the ground or first floor which has an openable window or external door suitable for escape which has an openable area of at least 0.33m2 and is at least 450mm wide and 450mm high. The opening should not be more than 1100mm above the floor. For dormer windows and roof lights see Approved Document B to the Building Regulations.

Where child minding takes place in an inner room, a smoke detector should be installed in the access room or, if possible, a vision panel should be installed in the door or the wall to the access room.

Smoke Alarms in Domestic Dwellings

In regard to the statutory duty of Ofsted to inspect registered child minders premises, it is considered reasonable to accept battery-operated smoke alarms as an alternative to them being permanently wired to the mains.

Although, mains wired alarms are preferred and will automatically be installed in newly constructed dwellings under Building Regulations. If mains wired alarms are fitted, they should have a backup battery and be permanently wired to a regularly used lighting circuit. The wiring installation should conform to the Institution of Electrical Engineering Wiring Regulations.

If overnight care is not provided, it is considered sufficient for smoke alarms to be installed in circulation areas only. We recommend installing them in accordance with the following guidelines:

• Where childminding accommodation is on more than one storey, there should be at least one smoke alarm at each available floor level.
• There should be a smoke alarm within 7m of the doors to rooms where a fire is most likely to occur (kitchen or living room etc.) and within 3m of the bedrooms.
• If the building is of such a design or size that the operation of one detector may not be audible throughout the premises, more than one smoke alarm may be required, and consideration should be given to connecting them together, so they all activate the warning signal if any one of the detectors are triggered.
• Smoke alarms should be fitted somewhere accessible so regular tests and cleaning routines can be carried out easily and safely.

Do not fix smoke alarms in the following areas:

• Over a staircase or any other opening between floors
• Directly above heaters or air conditioning outlets
• Bathrooms
• Garages
• Directly above cooking appliances
• Any other area where steam, condensation or fumes could trigger false alarms.

Testing and Maintenance Processes for Smoke Alarms

All smoke alarms need to be checked regularly to ensure they are in good working order:

• Weekly – Press the test button to ensure the circuit is operating. If more than one detector head is onsite, we would recommend rotating around each smoke alarm every week to ensure all of the alarms are functioning correctly.
• Yearly – Replace the battery (unless it is of a longer life type) and test by pressing the test button. It may be worth looking into the manufacturer’s instructions and what they recommend as well.

If you would like further assistance around smoke alarms, you can request a Safe & Well visit where they may be able to fit free smoke alarms for you.

Firefighting Equipment

A fire blanket to BS EN safety standards should be kept in the kitchen. Other firefighting equipment is not normally necessary and, should a fire occur, a childminders first responsibility is the safe evacuation of the children.

Suitable Heating

Portable heaters using liquified petroleum gas, paraffin or electricity, are not regarded as safe forms of heating for childminding premises and their use should be prohibited except in exceptional circumstances, such as power cuts etc. On such occasions, the heater should be securely anchored in a safe and suitable position and away from draughts.

A substantial guard constructed to BS 6539 specification should be securely fixed in position and enclose solid fuel fires and heating appliances, other than low pressure hot water radiators. No part of the guard should be closer than 200mm from the heat source, otherwise the guard may get dangerously hot.

Cooking

Children should be kept out of the kitchen unless they are well supervised or constantly monitored. There should be no deep fat frying cooking taking place when any children are in the kitchen. Matches should also not be used for lighting gas cookers.

Smoking Materials

Under the Welfare Requirements, smoking in front of children is prohibited by any member of the household. Cigarettes, lighters and matches must always be kept out of sight, out of reach and preferably in a secure cabinet.

Foam Filled Furniture

Upholstered furniture should comply with the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire Safety) Regulations. The Regulations state the following:

• Upholstered articles must have a fire-resistant filling
• Most cover fabrics must have passed a match resistance test
• The combination of the cover fabric and filling material must have passed a cigarette resistance test.

Electrical Wiring

Fuses should be correctly rated for the appliance in use:

• Up to 700 watts – 3 amp fuse
• 700-1000 watts – 5 amp fuse
• Over 1000 watts – 13 amp fuse.

More information on electrical safety can be found on our website

Overnight Care

Additional considerations should be given for overnight care as people are especially at risk from fire whilst they are asleep. As well as the detailed guidance stated in this note, it is important for those offering overnight care to ensure that:

• There is adequate automatic fire detection (smoke alarm/detectors) in place to ensure early detection of a fire. This includes coverage of areas used for overnight care and the escape routes from it.
• Where more than one alarm/detector is required, it will be necessary to link them together so that operation of one actuates the alarm signal in them all.
• In a dwelling that provides child minding accommodation on more than one storey, there should be at least one smoke alarm at each available storey level.
• There should be a smoke alarm within 7m of the doors where a fire is likely to start (the kitchen or living room) and within 3m of the bedrooms.
• A bedtime routine should be followed where gas and electrical appliances are turned off and that all smoking materials are safely extinguished.
• All doors should be checked and closed before sleeping.
• A sufficient number of adults are available to ensure a safe and efficient evacuation of all children should an incident occur, considering the need to assist or carry children. •
• Whilst carrying out staff training, it is important to also carry out nighttime drills as there may be a decrease in staff available during the night and residents may react differently to an alarm late at night, therefore this could impact evacuation.

Further Information

If you require any further advice or guidance, these links may also be useful:

• Coram Pacey – A small charity that represents nearly 14,000 Early Years Providers. They represent 50% of registered Childminders in England and Wales, reaching nearly 100,000 children and their families to ensure their providers are well equipped to support them
• DCLG Guide Residential Care – Applies to premises where the main use is the provision of residential care, including where care is provided for children and young persons