While the number of school fires has decreased over recent years, they remain a major risk for schools. Each year around 1 in 20 schools experiences a fire and nearly 60% of school fires are deliberate. You can calculate the short-term effects of loss of facilities and equipment, but the longer-term effects of loss of coursework, disruption of classes and lowering of morale are much harder to quantify. However, it is clear that a major fire is likely to disrupt a child’s education for many months and could mean postponing tests and exams.
Source – Building Bulletin 100 (BB 100)
As stated above, 60% of all school fires are deliberate. Given the nature of the site, most are probably pranks that get out of control. However, some will be planned, malicious attacks.
Around 1 in 8 schools are subject to an arson attack every year. Although stopping arson attacks is virtually impossible, you can lower your risk by following these simple steps:
By being vigilant and aware of what a potential arsonist could burn and how accessible it is could greatly reduce the risk.
The next most common source of fires in schools is the storage of combustible materials. Paper and cardboard are obviously prevalent in schools. And with the limited storage space often posed in these environments, the potential for storing these items alongside sources of ignition is more likely. For example, cupboards housing electrical equipment may become storage areas for other combustible items which results in a potentially dangerous mix of fuel and ignition in an enclosed area. Simple fire safety advises that sources of fuel and sources of ignition are separate.
Gymnastic mats are also another source of fuel that gets overlooked. With space at a premium, storage of these often isn’t in suitable stores. Regulations state that gymnastic mats should be in a purpose-built store having a fire resistance of 60 minutes, and where possible ventilate to open air. Gymnastic mats produce a dense, toxic smoke when ignited. If the smoke breaches the store, the risk of limiting access to escape routes increases.
These are just two of the most common examples of fire safety issues found during inspections in schools, and many other factors need to be considered. For example, fire safety training for employees, evacuation plans for each school area, and the regularity of practice fire drills.
If you’re concerned about the fire safety of your school, then contact us immediately. We can provide a no obligation quote for a comprehensive Fire Risk Assessment, or review your current Fire Risk Assessment. We can also provide a free site survey to assess existing fire safety systems for compliance with fire legislation.
