Can anyone help me, does a fireguard need to be permanently around a fire?

A childminding friend say she just puts in around if they are actually having the fire on, if not the fire is switched off at the mains and she leaves it off as they haven't much space.

I always have mine around it, although we never use the fire, so was just wondering what the policy was??

Jane

I don't have a fire place at the moment. When I did I must confess I just kept the guard up all the time I was minding. I guess you will need to risk assess for when the fire guard is not there even if the fire isn't on. Are there any sharp courners etc

Ofsted said if you dont use the fire you dont need a fire guard to me when she came out as i dont use the fires BUT i have sharpe edges on my fires which she then said she would reccomend getting some just to cover the sharpe edges of the fire x x xx

Thanks for your help

Jane

I have a fire guard and it's always in place... goes back to Social Services days when they insisted on one.

Now, Ofsted say it's about proving you can keep children safe so if they have access to a room with a fire and a fireplace with sharp edges, how do you protect them? What about if you have to leave the room and they decide to play roly polys on the floor? Will they be safe if one of them uses a carefully placed rug as a blanket?... that sort of thing.

hth :D

I know 2 cm's within 2 miles of each other, 1 of whom was told she had to have a fireguard and the other who was told as long as the hearth corners are covered there doesn't need to be one there at all!!! :confused:

I have a fireplace that runs almost the whole length of the lounge and don't think I could get a guard big enough. Also would be hard to secure a babydan or something like that to the wall at the ends. I am worried that the big O will tell me I can't use that room and then I'm scuppered :(

Think its very unfair that it depends on the inspector as to what you can or can't do :angry:

jo x

I have mine up all the time.
I remember taking it down when my own girls where younger due to the lack of space and replacing it with one that just fits around the fire. The day after my then nearly 3 yr old tripped and hit her head on the marble hearth!! Resulting in a trip to A & E. I know they can probably trip and land on a toy and have the same sort of injury but I feel safer with it up.
Debs
x

I'm leaving our fire guard up permanently to also stop little hands picking up the fake coal and getting covered in black stuff.

At my last inspection i was told about not having a fire guard up although i said the fire was just decorative and never used. She said i had to either have a fire guard or take the fuse or plug off the fire to prove it wasnt used. I then had it put on my report that i had an open fire accesable to children i was horified at how bad it sounded and went and purchased a fire guard, i do agree with others the sharp edges could be a safety hazard to so best to be safe than sorry.

tracey

Hi Iam new to the site.Isaw the query regarding fireguards and would like to say at my inspection the Ofsted inspector put it down as an action that I fitted a fireguard to my fire even though the fire is not used.I asked why since the fire has no sharp edges or a hearth and i had had two previous inspections where having no fireguard was not a problem.I was told it was due to a meeting she had attended the day before and it was a requirement to have a fireguard properly fixed.Hope this helps

well if they pull me up on this I will be well miffed!!

I was told on pre-reg that what I had done was fine. I have cushiony edge guard all way round the edge and I use my long maternity pillow to cover the entire hearth.

the gas fire is never used, not just not used while minding, just not used full stop.

I even called ofsted back after my pre-reg to double check...

Hello...........not wrote on here before only just joined lol
Ofsted knocked me back down to satisfactory for not having a fireguard.......even tho my fire is not connected to a gas supply and my hearth is semi circle(which i purchased in respect of my job) Risk assessments in place......parents comments i.e they dont have one at home so y should you! In 10+ years no other inspecter has mentioned it....this one said Health and Safety was her thing!!! And I was not safeguarding children properly without a fireguard.......sorry to blab lol :)

Is there such a thing as a fireguard that doesn't make holes in the walls? I don't mind having one but would want to put it away at weekends and dont want holes left in the wall (not long had it replastered).

I could do with just a cover for mine, as the fire guard limits the space, there are no sharp bits and my youngest mindee is 4, I have been looking but can't seem to find one anywhere, all I want is something that covers round the fire as its not used.

Jane

when we moved in ourhouse they just had a wood suround screwed to the wall and apeice of wood sat on carpet and a elecric fake fire that plugged in round the corner from it, theres no hole in the chimney breast so when we ripped the room apart to redue it we didnt bother with a fire and my sofa goes on that wall now, after reading this thread im so glad i didnt bother replacing it:laughing:

charlotte x