Glasgow care home fined £500,000 following fire death

Ms Hughes had been a smoker and from early March had started to spend extended periods in her bed.

The fire began in her room, likely from bed linen or the resident's clothing, with a lighter and an e-cigarette found on the bed and a second lighter nearby.

Testimony before the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) found that this change in circumstances should have seen the 54-year-old given smoking materials while she was bed-bound.

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 A review was not undertaken, and appropriate control measures were not put in place.  

Had these risks been identified, they could have been mitigated by appropriate monitoring and ensuring that Ms Hughes was supervised while she smoked.

The fire detection system in the building initially identified the fire as coming from the kitchen and laundry area, rather than the resident's room.

The investigation of the fire detection system found that the zone chart was inaccurate with Carol Hughes’ room showing on the indicator panel as part of zone 6 when the chart displayed this room as zone 12. 

Disposable lighter found on the floor (Image: Crown Office)

Had the correct zone and room been identified, staff could have attended at the location of the fire sooner. The loss of Ms Hughes’s life cannot be attributed to any delay which occurred. 

Due to the level of smoke build-up within the corridor, staff were unable to access Ms Hughes room to assist with evacuating her from the building. She was taken from her room by firefighters, who requested an ambulance, and died later the next day.

HC-One Limited pled guilty to a charge under Section 3(1) and 33(1)(a) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 at Glasgow Sheriff Court on 15 August 2024 and was fined £500,000 with a Victim Surcharge of £37,500.

Speaking after the sentencing, Debbie Carroll, who leads on health and safety investigations for the COPFS said:  "The death of Carol Hughes could have been prevented if HC-One Limited had suitably and sufficiently assessed the risks to her health and safety by having access to smoking materials whilst bed-bound. 

“Their failure to maintain the fire alarm detection system, ensuring it could accurately identify the location of the activation, led to delay in getting to the fire. 

"This prosecution serves to highlight the need for all care homes to protect their residents and remind them they will be held accountable if they fail to do so.”  

A spokesperson for HC-One Scotland, said: “First and foremost, we extend our deepest condolences and sincere apologies to the family of Ms Hughes. The safety of those in our care is our absolute priority, and we were deeply shocked and saddened by the tragedy that occurred in 2017. 

"It was important to us that lessons were learned from this tragic incident, and we have undertaken extensive reviews of our fire management protocols and safety systems across our homes. We have also since enhanced our care planning processes and coaching for our teams.

"We are clear that this incident should never have happened, and we hope that today’s decision can bring a sense of closure to Ms Hughes’ family.”