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298 F I R E RESEARCH Chandler, S. E , (Joint Fire Research Orgamzation, Boreham Wood, England) "Fires m Hospitals," Department of the Environment and Fire Offices' Committee Joint Fire Research Organization Fire Research Technical Paper No. 27 (March 1971) Section: L Subject: Fire m hospitals Author's Discussion Fires in hospitals have been mcreasing at about the same rate as all fires in buildmgs, rismg from 590 m 1963 to 684 in 1968 (estimated from a one-m-four sample of reports). Mental hospitals do not appear to be more fire-prone than other hospitals, although the types of fire which occur in them are different m some respects. There are more fires m wards and less in kitchens, and fires are more often thought to be due to smokmg materials and mahcious igmtion m mental than m other hospitals At present there is no statistical evidence that the fire risk to patients m hospital differs appreciably from that to people m their own homes. Sixty-eight per cent of the fires m hospitals occur between 0900 and 2100 and 20 per cent between 2100 and 0300. The places where fires occur most frequently are wards (144), stores (80) and kitchens (76) Malicious igmtion and smokmg materials are the two most promment causes of fires m wards and stores Rules on smokmg vary from hospital to hospital and i t is possible that some of the fires m wards could be attributed to hospital visitors. There are few fires m operating theatres (the estimated frequency in 1968 was only 8). Only 6^ per cent of fires in hospitals spread beyond the room of origm, compared with 28 per cent m all buildings. This can be attributed to prompt detection and fire-fighting activity before the arrival of the fire brigade About 80 per cent of hospital fires are tackled before the arrival of the brigade and about 60 per cent of the fires reported are extmguished before i t arrives. I t appears that water is more often used successfully than extmguishers. Internal hose reels are used on 15 per cent of fires, and on half of these occasions they are successful Durmg the period 1963-1968, 38 fixes gave rise to 62 fatal casualties, 24 of these were m the Shelton Mental Hospital fire m which there was a delay m caUmg the fire brigade. Durmg 1969, the problems of mental hospitals were agam high- hghted by the Carlton Hayes Hospital fire in which there were four deaths Here, however, prompt evacuation saved many hves.
