Fire safety is imperative in all environments, both domestic and commercial. They are especially vital in academic settings, such as schools, whereby the safety of pupils is paramount. As such, it’s important to have a comprehensive fire protection plan in place across the school property to ensure adequate protection of the pupils, staff and property itself.
Keep reading as we discuss some of the common fire safety challenges schools face, effective solutions to overcome these and why adequate fire protection is so important.
Common Fire Safety Challenges Faced at School
High Volume of Personnel
There are many personnel present at a school on any given weekday - students, staff, visitors and potentially even parents. The issue this presents in terms of fire safety is the need to ensure that all personnel present on the school property are accounted for in the event of a fire drill.
An effective system needs to be put into place to evacuate all personnel from buildings and get them to a safe space outside, so that anyone who isn’t accounted for and could be in danger can be identified and helped if necessary.
This can be made even harder when children are involved, since they may be at an age where they’re too young to understand the severity of the situation or at an age where they feel inclined to rebel or mess around and actively don’t follow procedures.
Large Premises
Not only does a high volume of personnel present a challenge, but so does the physical size of the establishment. Schools are often made up of multiple blocks of buildings, the majority of which will be occupied at the same time.
It’s important that everyone knows their way out of these buildings and exits in a calm and orderly fashion, ensuring the buildings are evacuated safely and efficiently. Once evacuating the buildings, it’s also important that everyone meets at the same assembly point to be accounted for, as it can be harder to account for all personnel if they remain split up.
Flammable Materials
It doesn’t take much for a fire to spread, but it can spread even further when there is ample fuel to feed it - and ample fuel there is at schools.
From printer paper, work books and study books to computer suites, food-tech rooms and science labs, there are multiple opportunities for fires to break out and spread, whether they be organic electrical or chemical. Put briefly, schools can be considered a high risk environment for fires, making it even more essential that adequate fire planning is considered and put into place.
Implementing Effective Fire Protection Solutions
Risk Assessment
A risk assessment is the first step that should be taken in any fire protection plan. Not only is it the first step to take, but it’s also an incredibly essential one. A fire risk assessment aims to identify any and all potential fire risks and hazards present at the school premises, along with anyone who is particularly at risk.
Once you’ve identified all the risks and where they’re located, this information is then used to create substantial solutions to reduce and mitigate these fire risks. If there are already measures put into place, then suggestions will also be made for how these can be improved if and where necessary.
A fire risk assessment should ideally be carried out in schools annually, or more frequently if there have been any significant changes to the premises (for example, an extension or a new building).
Emergency Lighting
When it comes to evacuating school buildings, it’s important that everyone knows the designated exit routes, as these are chosen due to being the safest and the quickest. To make sure that everyone adheres to these routes, they should be signposted appropriately with proper emergency lighting and signage.
Fire signage should clearly indicate all:
● Emergency doors
● Fire extinguishers
● Fire alarms
● Fire assembly points
Having clear and legible signage can make all the difference should a fire occur.
Fire Doors
Whilst they may seem and act like any other door, fire doors actually act as a passive measure in a fire protection system. They are specially designed to help slow the spread of a fire from one part of a building to the next, along with the spread of smoke.
This can offer significant additional time for all personnel to evacuate a building by protecting their escape routes and protecting the overall structure of the building from collapsing.
It’s important to note that fire doors should never be propped open. Not only is this actually against the law, but it poses a safety hazard that defeats the whole purpose of fire doors in the first place.
Whilst fire doors are heavy and may be harder for some people to open, or teachers may be tempted to prop them open to improve ventilation in their classrooms, if a fire does break out then fire doors being open instead of closed can elevate the danger everyone inside is in. As such, it’s not just important to have fire doors in the first place, but to educate all staff and students on their proper usage.
Fire Alarms
Fire alarms are an essential component in any fire protection system. They are often one of the first elements of fire detection.
In schools, comprehensive fire alarm systems should be set up that connect smoke detectors with fire alarms, so that all personnel can be alerted of a fire threat as soon as possible. Along with these alarms, there should also be manual fire alarms that can be activated by a responsible person if a fire breaks out and the automatic system hasn’t yet detected it.
There should be fire alarms in every building and these should all be tested and maintained regularly in line with British Standards BS 5839.
Fire Safety Procedure
As well as having all of the necessary fire safety equipment in place, there should also be a well-planned fire protocol for all personnel to follow in the event that the fire alarms go off.
This protocol should be practised regularly - known as a fire drill - throughout the school year, so that all students and staff know the correct procedure to follow, thus preparing them in case a real fire ever breaks out.
Common fire drills in schools occur as follows:
Upon hearing the fire alarm, all staff and students should calmly and silently evacuate the classroom/building they are in in single file and make their way out of the emergency exits towards the designated fire assembly area.
Once at the assembly area, they should line up in their classes/tutor groups in alphabetical order.
An appointed member of staff will distribute printed versions of pupil, staff and visitor registers for the day. Teachers/tutors should then take the register of their class.
All visitors and staff members will also need to be accounted for using these registers at their designated assembly points.
Anyone missing should be reported immediately to the relevant senior staff member(s) and the Fire Safety Officer.
Everyone should remain at the assembly point until clear instruction has been given by the relevant senior member of staff or the Fire Safety Officer - only after they have given the all-clear should people return to buildings if it is safe to do so.
Importance of Fire Protection at Schools
First and foremost, fire safety in schools is important for protecting lives. There are many people present at schools, all of which are at risk in the event of a fire; there are often individuals present at school that may be even more vulnerable to the risk of fire, such as young children or those with disabilities.
Fire protection in schools is also important for minimising the effects that a fire can have and for ensuring a safer environment for first responders. Fire can cause extensive damage, which can not only be incredibly costly to repair, but can result in an interruption to students’ learning environment whilst repairs are taking place.
As for making a safer environment for first responders, having extensive fire protection measures in place can minimise the spread of a fire, making it easier and safer for them to control the situation, extinguish the fire and save lives.
Fire Exit Signs and Fire Alarms in Kent
Do you run a school located in the Kent area? Make sure your fire protection measures are up to scratch with the help of us here at EK Fire Protection.
From providing the necessary fire safety equipment, including emergency lighting, signage and fire alarms to carrying out risk assessments and PAT testing, we offer comprehensive services that can be implemented in your school to create a well-established fire protection plan.
We also offer fire safety training courses, providing the core knowledge and understanding your staff and fire marshals need to know in order to effectively handle an emergency fire situation.
If you’d like to discuss how our services can meet the fire safety requirements for your school, then don’t hesitate to get in touch with us today.
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