Smoking ban in care homes after fire death

Published: 4 March 2010
by CHARLOTTE CHAMBERS

SMOKING has been banned in Camden’s care homes while investigators probe the horrific death of a pensioner in a Gospel Oak older people’s home at the end of last month.

The temporary ban has been imposed while the Town Hall’s adult social care and health and safety teams investigate how the fire that killed Alex Andrews, 68, at the Wellesley Road Home for Older People began.

The inferno is believed to have begun by a cigarette and Camden is set to decide on whether smoking indoors at its homes should be subject to a permanent ban.

The start of the council’s investigation coincided with a separate fire in the Arlington House homeless men’s hostel in Camden Town in the early hours of Thursday during which police say a 60-year-old man suffered “life changing” burns.

The victim, named by other residents of the hostel as Colin Tinker, was rushed to hospital while nearly 40 men were evacuated outside where they were told to wait on the street corner in the early hours of Thursday.

The fire brigade said they believe the fire was also caused by a cigarette.
One Housing Group, which runs Arlington House, told the New Journal it is also considering banning smoking in rooms, although a spokeswoman said the safety review was being done in line with the building’s “planned redevelopment” rather than as a result of the fire.

Residents of Wellesley Road Home are subject to risk assessment regarding smoking in their rooms and Mr Andrews had been allowed to do so.

But a council press officer said a review was under way. He said: “The council has temporarily suspended the practice of allowing residents of Wellesley Road and those in our other care homes to smoke in their rooms while the fire brigade carry out their investigation.

“The council is currently reviewing the policy and a decision will be made on whether residents can smoke in their rooms once that is completed.”