Significant developments in improving fire safety across our hospitals

Major building work is now underway to improve fire safety across our hospitals, with the first programme of work starting at Lincoln County Hospital.

Posted on in Announcements

Major building work is now underway to improve fire safety across our hospitals, with the first programme of work starting at Lincoln County Hospital.

Currently at Lincoln, improvements are underway to the fire ‘compartmentation’ of the buildings on site. This work involves surveying all areas across the hospital, and installing new fire resisting barriers, which provide a minimum of 30 minutes and in some areas 60 minutes fire resistance.

Associate Director of Estates, Chris Farrah, said: “Fire doors will be replaced with new modern styled 60 minute fire doors and ironmongery wherever identified for replacement. Fire dampers and compartmentation of walls, floor and ceilings are all considered as part of these upgrade works as well as emergency lighting and fire detection and fire alarm upgrades.

“This programme of works is about improving the safety of our wards and departments for our patients and staff, as well as ensuring that we meet legal rquirements for fire safety.

“Survey work is now underway across the site, to assess what needs to be done on a department-by-department basis.”

In addition to Lincoln, this programme of works is being rolled out across the entire Trust estate including Pilgrim Hospital, Boston and Grantham and District Hospital as part of a structured programme of works.

In addition, staff training around fire safety continues. Fire safety advisors, one on each site, are now working with all clinical wards and departments to enhance their emergency plans. This involves reviewing the risk assessments so that they are accurate and reflects the risks present to the users within the department and reviewing the visual evacuation plans, so that they accurately reflect the available firefighting equipment, escape routes and show the compartmentation lines.