A new report on the benefits of automatic suppression systems in residential care homes is to be launched next month.

Sprinklers for Safer Living will be published by the British Automatic Fire Sprinkler Association (BAFSA) and is based on research carried out by Arup Fire.

The use of automatic fire sprinkler systems primarily intended to protect life is a relatively recent phenomenon. While sprinkler systems have been successfully protecting property for more than 150 years, says BAFSA, it’s only since the mid 90s that it has been accepted in the UK that fire suppression systems can play a major role in reducing fire deaths.

This change in attitude, says the association, has been driven by fire and rescue services accepting that the majority of those who die in fires can generally be classified as “hard to reach” in terms of fire safety messages, such as the elderly, those living alone, and people in social housing.

BAFSA says the report presents a compelling argument for the installation of sprinkler protection in new and refurbished residential care premise, and will demonstrate that sprinklers can:

• protect the lives of care home residents, other occupants, staff and visitors
• protect the premises themselves and eliminate the need for the relocation of occupants should there be a fire
• enable flexibility in fire safety planning which may permit 'evacuation in place' for the majority of residents, making it unnecessary to undertake a full evacuation
• optimise’ night staffing levels
• help to discharge legal duties under current fire safety legislation

In some cases, says the association, sprinklered care homes may also benefit from lower fire insurance premiums.

Sprinklers for Safer Living will be launched at the Care Show in Bournemouth on 31 March.