Almost half of new school buildings do not have fire safety sprinkler systems in place, according to new findings. 43% of schools built or refurbished in the governments Building Schools for the future programme are without the sprinklers. These figures are in spite of government guidance issued 2 years ago that almost all new schools should be fitted with sprinkler systems.
The worry regarding this comes from another surprising statistic. Every week 20 schools are destroyed or damaged by fire.
The Chief Fire Officers Association says local authorities who choose not to fit sprinklers are putting the safety of pupils and staff at risk.
It is clearly imperative that these concerns for health and safety are taken seriously and there is a risk that in not following government guidance on this matter, schools and local education authorities may be found to be negligent should any injuries arise as a result of a fire.
However, although sprinkler systems are an important tool in protecting health and safety, they are not compulsory and the requirement to conduct a risk assessment to take in to account the possibility of a fire means that there may be alternative measures in place to minimise the risk of:
a) An accident occurring; or
b) The spread of a fire throughout the building(s)
This can be achieved by the provision of equipment such as fire extinguishers and also making sure that fire drills are conducted on a regular basis. However, although building regulations do not require this, the Chief Fire Officers Association is lobbying for sprinklers to be made mandatory in new schools.
A spokesman for the Department for Children, Schools and Families stated that “Ultimately what’s most important is making sure children are aware of fire safety rules and how to evacuate a building quickly and calmly in the event of a fire.” that certainly shouldn’t be an excuse to ignore guidance which is primarily designed to preserve safety and protect from injury.
