Harmony Fire begins fire door safety upgrades at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital

by Featured NewsFire DoorsProjects

Harmony Fire secures Gloucestershire Royal Hospital contract

Harmony Fire has been appointed to deliver a fire door replacement programme at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital as part of an investment in modernising life safety systems across the Great Western Road campus.

The project involves the replacement of over 150 specialist fire doors across three hospital buildings.

Works are scheduled to occur at the Gallery Wing, the Women’s Centre and the campus diagnostic Imaging Department.

The Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust commissioned the project to upgrade infrastructure while maintaining continuous 24/7 operations at the facility.

The scope of work includes the installation of new ward doors, riser doors and office doors alongside new access control systems.

Harmony Fire developed a twin phased programme in collaboration with the Trust’s Capital and Estates team, Ward Managers and the campus Fire Safety team.

All installations must meet the requirements of the NHS fire code Health Technical Memorandum 05 (HTM 05).

Compliance and operational continuity in healthcare

Christopher White, Senior Fire Safety Project Manager at Gloucestershire Managed Services, explained that the company was selected for its commitment to life safety and regulatory compliance.

“We are delighted to be working alongside Harmony Fire on a major fire door replacement programme within Gloucestershire Royal Hospital.

“Harmony Fire’s core values, particularly its commitment to life safety, professionalism, and regulatory compliance, were central to our decision to appoint them.

“Demonstrating expertise in delivering compliant fire door installations within busy, live hospital environments provided the assurance required for works within an acute healthcare setting, where patient safety and operational continuity are paramount.

“The company’s disciplined approach to golden thread compliance and information management has been especially valued, supporting assurance, traceability, and ongoing fire safety governance.”

Protecting NHS infrastructure and patient safety

The project focuses on areas specialising in the care of elderly patients and maternity services.

Connor Mitchell, Managing Director at Harmony Fire, noted that the works ensure buildings remain protected for staff and visitors.

“The NHS is 1.5 million dedicated, professional and caring individuals in our communities across the UK, backed by the buildings and physical infrastructure that makes its mission possible.

“Many of these technically complex and busy workspaces operate continuously 24/7 and we make sure these buildings remain safe and protected for staff, patients and visitors.

“Our work at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital provides assurance that a key front line life safety defence will protect patients, staff and visitors in the event an emergency incident and prevent the rapid spread of fires that can devastate our vital NHS infrastructure and severely impact community healthcare provision.”

The phased delivery model allows the hospital to maintain patient care services during the installation period.

Fire safety in mental health care environments: Summary from FIM Expo Harrogate 2025

by Associations and OrganisationsEventsFeatured NewsHealth and Safety

A focus on mental health fire safety at UK event

The Fire Industry Association (FIA) has reported that FIM Expo Harrogate 2025 placed a distinct emphasis on practical fire safety challenges within healthcare.

The one-day UK event drew professionals from across the fire protection sector, with attendees including manufacturers, installers, consultants and system end users.

One of the most attended sessions featured Karen Byard, Fire Safety Lead at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, who presented on the complexities of managing fire risks in mental health facilities.

Karen Byard discusses mental health fire risks

Karen Byard’s session explored how fire safety standards are implemented in care environments with vulnerable individuals.

Her talk outlined how patient needs, environmental design, and regulatory compliance interact in NHS mental health wards.

She highlighted measures adopted by her Trust, including silent alarm systems to reduce distress, ligature-resistant features, and the use of fire-resistant materials such as flaxboard core doors.

Byard said: “Fire safety in any healthcare building is critical to the safety of patients, visitors, staff, and the ability of the building to enable staff to provide ongoing care.”

Real-life incidents inform system design

Byard provided examples of how past fire incidents have shaped the Trust’s approach.

She discussed risk assessments, community-based prevention strategies, and a layered response combining passive fire protection and staff training.

She said: “There is also an increased risk of fires being deliberately set by patients, which means that we need to be confident that the preventive measures in place are in a good state of repair and checked or tested regularly.”

The presentation connected regulatory frameworks with frontline practice, illustrating how risk control methods are tailored to individual service users’ needs.

Technical displays support professional learning

In addition to the conference sessions, FIM Expo featured interactive exhibits from UK fire safety manufacturers.

Attendees had access to demonstrations of alarm systems, suppression technologies, emergency lighting and more.

Exhibitors provided technical information directly to installers, specifiers and safety officers, supporting informed decision-making across sectors.

The event also allowed for peer-to-peer exchanges between those working in both healthcare and non-healthcare settings.

FIM Expo Harrogate 2025: Summary

FIM Expo Harrogate 2025 brought together fire safety professionals from across the UK for a day of technical demonstrations, expert talks and peer discussions.

The Fire Industry Association reported that the event featured a wide range of technologies including fire detection systems, emergency lighting, alarms and suppression products.

Karen Byard, Fire Safety Lead at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, delivered a CPD-accredited session focused on fire protection in NHS mental health settings.

Topics included the use of silent alarm systems, specialist fire doors, ligature resistance and fire signage challenges.

She shared her Trust’s multi-layered response strategies, involving fire risk assessments, targeted training and building design adjustments.

Byard emphasised the importance of adapting fire safety systems to the specific needs of mental health patients.

The event enabled professionals from manufacturing, installation and consultancy to engage with suppliers and learn from operational case studies.

Hospitals in Karnataka slow to carry out fire safety audit

by Featured NewsSafety

Only 44 out of 166 government hospitals in Karnataka, a state in the south western region of India, have completed a fire safety audit within the two week period set out by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as fire accidents have been on the rise sue to summer heat, according to reports.

Modi spoke at a video conference with Chief Ministers on 27 April suggesting that all states conduct fire safety audits. Over two weeks since the Health Department directed 16 district and 150 taluk hospitals to complete the audit, only 27% have completed the exercise. The May 21 deadline has now been extended until the end of the month.

To aid he process, the Health Department approved ₹82 lakh for the fire audits of 166 hospitals (at ₹50,000 each hospital) under the National Health Mission (NHM), relasing the funds on May 18.

State Health Commissioner Randeep D. attributed the slow action to procedural delays: “Funds have been released to the 166 hospitals and the DHOs have been asked to facilitate the audit of hospitals in their districts by the end of this month. So far, 44 hospitals have completed the audits,” he said.

“The recent incidents of fire accidents in hospitals have reinforced the need for compliance with fire safety measures in hospitals across the State,” he added.

Commenting on fire safety in hospitals, C.N. Manjunath, director of the State-run Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research, said: “Hospitals have a multitude of flammable materials, each with different degrees of combustibility, each reacting differently to heat and fire.

“It is mandatory for hospitals to have smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, a fire escape route plan, fire exit LED signages with two hours power backup, fluorescent arrow directions and adequate space for fire tenders to operate.”