Dear Sheila
Do home providers have to have a “Candlelight Policy”?

Answered by Sheila Scott

Dear Ruby,

Thank you for your question. QCS’s Health & Safety and Infection Control Specialist, Sally Beck has let me have this response:

“The safe use of candles can be reviewed within your fire risk assessment. If required, a policy on the safe use of candles could be developed and the use of candles highlighted as a hazard within a building risk assessment on the care home. “

I would expect that the majority of care homes would have in place a policy that says that candles cannot be used in care homes but I may be wrong.

Best wishes.

Sheila