Fire Safety

All establishments are required as part of their overall policy on health and safety to establish and document suitable practices and procedures for the management of fire precautions.

Responsibilities

The responsible person within schools is the Head teacher. The responsibility for the day to day management of fire safety may be delegated to a designated competent person(s), but the overall responsibility stays with the Head teacher and the Governing Body.

Legislation

Fire legislation includes the fire precautions (Workplace) regulations 1997 (as amended), the Fire Precautions Act 1971 and more generally, the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and regulations made under the act.

Fire Risk Assessment

The management regulations require a fire risk assessment to be undertaken to identify the measures required to comply with Part 2 of the Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations 1997 (as amended).

A fire risk assessment should usually involve identifying the hazards present in any undertaking (whether arising from work activities or from other factors, i.e layout of the premise) and then evaluating the extent of the risk involved, taking into account whatever precautions are already being taken. The main purpose of this risk assessment is to safeguard the safety of the occupants in case of fire.

The risk assessment will help you determine the chances of a fire occurring and the dangers from fire that your workplace poses for the people who use it.

It is not a theoretical exercise. However some work can be done on paper from the knowledge you, or your employees or their representatives have of the workplace. A tour of the whole building is required to ensure that all details and information are accurate, and any areas of significant risk identified.

Fire risk assessments must be recorded, kept on the premises and be available for all staff to view. The main issues raised as a result should be passed onto staff for their information and/or to action. The fire risk assessment should be treated as a working document, acting as a fire management tool.

Examples that Contravene Regulations

Below are examples of what can contravene regulations and which a risk assessment or inspection may highlight for remedial action:

• No evidence of a written fire risk assessment
• Non implementation of fire evacuation procedures
• Fire doors wedges or propped open
• Self-closers on fire doors broken or missing
• Coats, displays and paper on emergency exit stairways or single escape routes
• Fire exits blocked
• Fire Doors bolted
• Fire Doors with unsuitable glazing, i.e not fire resistant glazing
• Poor housekeeping
• Boiler houses used for storage of combustible and flammable materials
• Smoking in the boiler houses or other non designated areas
• Flammable chemicals not segregated or stored in a fire resistant container
• Fire alarm not audible in all areas of the building
• Inadequate number of exits for the number of people who may be required to use them.
• Unauthorised structural/building work worsening means of escape
• Inadequate training of staff members

Arson Prevention

Malicious arson attacks and deliberate ignition of contents is the single largest cause of fires within schools.

In terms of general day to day management to reduce the vulnerability of your school to arson, suitable 'close down' procedures should be carried out at the end of the day.  Recommended procedures to follow include:

• Locking flammable materials in suitable containers
• Securing valuable equipment/cash
• Ensuring refuse has been removed from the building and placed in a safe and secure area
• Ensure no persons are still present in the building – toilets etc- persons hiding
• Ensure that external security lighting is in operation
• Ensure that windows are secured shut
• Ensure doors are closed to prevent spread of fire  and unauthorised access
• Ensure security and Fire alarms are set
• Ensure external doors /gates/fences are secure

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Related Documents

• Fire Safety Policy - May 2007

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