A Glasgow care home has been fined half a million pounds following health and safety failings which led to the death of a 54-year-old woman. Carol Hughes died on March 25, 2017 following a fire at the Arcadia Gardens home, run by HC-One Ltd, in Bridgeton. 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. Read More: Inquiry into Queen Elizabeth University and Children's hospital to continue next week Disabled mother nearly lost council flat after five-year wait amid huge moving fees Changes made to Gender Identity Services with self-referral no longer possible 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.