In the dynamic environment of schools, the risk of fire presents a significant concern, affecting approximately 90,000 students across the UK annually. Schools are nearly twice as likely as other commercial buildings to experience fires, underscoring the need for effective fire risk management and assessments.
Comprehensive Fire Safety Legislation
Historically, schools were not explicitly included in fire safety legislation until the introduction of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. This legislation mandates a designated 'responsible person' in schools to conduct thorough fire risk assessments. These assessments involve identifying risks, mitigating or eliminating them, and ensuring safe evacuation for all occupants.
Essential Steps in Fire Risk Assessment
Conducting a fire risk assessment involves five key steps: identifying fire hazards, determining at-risk individuals and causes, evaluating and mitigating risks, implementing emergency plans with training, and routinely reviewing and updating the assessment. These steps are crucial in maintaining a safe school environment.
Specific Fire Risk Concerns in Schools
Schools host numerous electrical devices necessary for education and daily operations, such as computers, electronic whiteboards, and kitchen appliances. Such equipment must be regularly inspected to prevent potential fire hazards.
Importance of Clear Escape Routes
Obstacles that block fire exits and doors pose significant evacuation challenges. Regular inspections ensure these routes remain unobstructed during emergencies.
Managing Wall Displays
Classroom and hallway displays, while educationally beneficial, must adhere to guidelines ensuring they do not impede escape routes during a fire.
Determining Safe Occupancy
Calculating safe occupancy figures for large gatherings in school halls during events like assemblies and plays is critical. Fire safety consultants can establish these figures as part of the assessment process.
Arson Considerations
Arson remains a leading cause of school fires, with 75% being deliberately set, some resulting in damages exceeding £1 million. Schools must incorporate arson prevention strategies, such as securing premises and limiting unauthorized access, into their fire risk assessments.
Ensuring Rigorous BAFE-Approved Assessments
Utilizing BAFE-approved assessments guarantees thorough evaluation and compliance with fire safety standards. Total Fire Group provides these assessments, along with ongoing fire consultancy services, offering peace of mind to educational institutions throughout the UK. Their services are informed by extensive experience with a wide range of schools, including those serving children with special needs.
Schools can be unpredictable. With hundreds of people running around the school, it’s impossible to keep on top of what everyone is doing. Consequently, every year, approximately 90,000 pupils in the UK find their education disrupted because of a fire.
In comparison to other types of commercial buildings, schools are nearly twice as likely to have a fire. It’s a huge point of concern, and while schools cannot control everything, they can massively decrease the risk of a fire and be better equipped to deal with it.
The best way to make sure everyone is safe is by keeping on top of fire management and carrying out detailed fire risk assessments.
Fire safety
Before 2006, schools were rarely considered in fire safety legislation. There were over 70 pieces of legislation covering fire safety in the UK, but none of these included school regulations.
The legislations were combined to form the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, including schools. This piece of legislation places a requirement on a named ‘responsible person’ to carry out a fire risk assessment – to identify any possible risks, to reduce or remove those risks, and to ensure that people on the premises can evacuate safely.
When carrying out a fire risk assessment, people should follow these five steps:
- Identify fire safety hazards
- Identify who is at risk and why
- Evaluate, remove, or reduce risks
- Implement an emergency plan, provide training, and record findings
- Review and update the assessment
School-specific fire risk considerations
Electrical appliances
Schools naturally have a lot of electrical appliances around. Some are for teaching purposes, such as electronic whiteboards and computers. Others are for the general day-to-day operation of the school, such as heaters or plug sockets. When it comes to lunchtime, that brings in a whole host of other appliances, including kettles, microwaves, fridges, and ovens.
Obstruction of the Means of Escape
Obstructions are objects that block fire exits and fire doors, making it difficult or impossible for students and staff to evacuate in the event of a fire. While obstructions might not cause the fire, they pose a huge risk to the welfare of those at the school if there was to be one. It’s important to regularly check these fire escape routes.
Wall and hanging displays
They understand the educational importance of displays within classrooms and circulation routes. However, special considerations and guidance need to be applied to ensure that escape and circulation routes are not compromised in the event of a fire. Their FRAs provide specific guidance on the limit and size of such displays.
Safe occupancy figures for school halls and open areas
The occupancy figures for such areas also require specific consideration, particularly around times of Christmas plays and other productions, as well as school assemblies. Their competent fire safety consultants are able to calculate safe occupancy figures for these areas and are included in their FRAs.
Arson
Arson in schools is a major concern. Zurich Municipal found that 75% of school fires are started deliberately. Some result in losses of over £1 million, which takes away from resources and activities. Schools should include an arson attack in their assessment and put preventative measures in place, including securing the outside area and deterring unauthorized entry to any part of the site.
BAFE-approved
It’s incredibly important that the BAFE-approved fire risk assessment is carried out correctly. Total Fire Group can take care of this for customers, giving them the peace of mind that it has been done right.
They know that schools are busy places, and this gives people the time to focus on the pupils and the day-to-day running of the schools.
However, fire risk assessments are just the beginning of the fire risk management cycle. They can also offer an ongoing fire consultancy service, which includes the initial fire risk assessment(s), as well as more in-depth support.
Total Fire Group has conducted fire risk assessments for schools across the UK, from primary through to universities, and including schools that focus on children with special needs. This means they really do understand the specific challenges a school faces.
