Fire Protection in Schools

Posted Wednesday, 23rd March 2022

Fire Protection in Schools

Each year, approximately 90,000 of UK school pupils have their learning disrupted due to a fire. Previously, the responsibility of fire safety within schools lay with the owning local authority until 2006 when the regulatory reform of fire safety order 2005 (Also known as the fire safety order) was introduced. This order was introduced to standardise the fire safety requirements of all workplaces to protect the occupiers in the event or a fire.

What are the Fire Safety Requirements for Schools?

Fire safety requirements in schools can be divided into three groups: passive, active and fire safety management.

Passive fire safety includes compartmentalising a building through the use of fire-resistant doors, walls, and floors. Breaking the building down into smaller compartments will slow the spread of fire and smoke containing it in one area which allows an alarm to be raised and help to be sought before the fire destroys the whole building. Passive fire protection also includes fire doors.

Active fire safety involves systems that are installed to detect and supress fires, such as sprinkler systems and fire alarms. Active fire protection minimises the impact of a fire while alarming the occupiers to the problem.

Fire safety management relates to the systems that a school has in place to prevent a fire from occurring and what to do in the event of a fire. This includes an evacuation plan, fire safety training and the maintenance of logs and fire protection systems.

School holidays can pose one of the biggest risks for arson attacks on schools. Statistically, fires breakout in schools more during school holiday periods. Although this is less devastating as there are no pupils present, the impact can still be damaging, and the delay of rebuilding and fixing damage can impact the learning and development of the pupils. By having the correct systems and procedures in place, the impact of the fire can be reduced and speed up the recovery minimising downtime.

Responsible person

Each school must have a responsible trained person, namely a fire warden. In most cases this role will lie with the Headteacher, but they may assign someone else to be responsible for the fire safety of the school. Some duties that the responsible person will undertake include,

  • Undertake the risk assessment for the school and communicating this to pupils and staff
  • Ensure that the schools are equipped with firefighting equipment
  • Periodically check the fire safety systems of the school to ensure they are in working order
  • Make sure all escape routes are appropriately maintained and free from obstructions
  • Appoint appropriate staff to help out with undertaking protective and preventative measures
  • Regularly review and appoint contractors to undertake any maintenance
  • Ensure all fire doors are kept shut in order to be effective
  • Eliminate or reduce risks from dangerous substances

While it is important to ensure systems are in place to reduce the impact of a fire, there are also preventative measure that can be taken

  • Ensure all fire doors are in good working order
  • Evacuation plans are up to date
  • Regular fire drills are taken
  • All means of escape routes are free from obstructions and kept clear
  • All rubbish and waste are removed from the school building and securely stored in bins that cannot be accessed by intruders
  • Minimise the number of flammable materials stored within the school building
  • Any storerooms containing flammable materials are made from fire-resistant materials to provide extra precautions in the event of a fire

It is also recommended that in order to prevent deliberate fires, CCTV is installed, and effective intruder alarm systems are used to deter criminals’ way.

BDL Can assist with ensuring your passive fire protection systems are up to date and compliant. We carry out full compartmentation, fire damper and fire door surveys to advise you on what you need to do in order to maintain the integrity of the building. If you need any help with Passive Fire Protection in your school, please get in touch with us today to see how we can help.

Global Warming

Global Warming

How to be safe during a Heatwave

How to be safe during a Heatwave

Fire Safety for Students

Fire Safety for Students

Autumn Fire Safety

Autumn Fire Safety

Office Fire Safety

Office Fire Safety

Fire Protection within the Hospitality Sector

Fire Protection within the Hospitality Sector

BDL’S Framework Win!

BDL’S Framework Win!

Passive Fire Protection – A beginner’s guide

Passive Fire Protection – A beginner’s guide

Fire Safety working from home

Fire Safety working from home

2020 - The challenges, the up’s the downs and the way forward!

2020 - The challenges, the up’s the downs and the way forward!

Andy & Jordan set up MND Charity

Andy & Jordan set up MND Charity

Giving back – Widnes Foodbank

Giving back – Widnes Foodbank

Meet our Apprentices!

Meet our Apprentices!

What is compartmentation and how does it help prevent the spread of smoke and fire?

What is compartmentation and how does it help prevent the spread of smoke and fire?

Fire Doors! Why are they so important?

Fire Doors! Why are they so important?

Passive Vs Active Fire Protection

Passive Vs Active Fire Protection

The Importance of Fire Protection in the workplace

The Importance of Fire Protection in the workplace

Client Feedback

Novus Property Solutions

Neal Donlan

Carrying out construction works in the Health Care environment is extremely challenging. This means that you have to adapt your working methods/hours etc to suit to reduce the impact upon the primary function of the hospitals.

BDL Fire protection are always happy to do what we need them to, sometimes at extremely short notice to meet the demands of the project. They are extremely professional & reliable and I would certainly recommend the company.

Engie FM

Richie Sealey

BDL Fire Protection have proven to be a pro-active and efficient contractor, procured through projects involving myself.

Services ranging from Reactive and Preventative maintenance, asset verification relating to passive fire protection, all of which continues to be of a high standard from quality assurance to customer focus.

Halton Housing

Diane Major

As the Customer Liaison Manager, communication with customers is paramount. The feedback I have received is very positive. Your operatives are courteous and respectful and nothing is too much trouble for the team. Special mention goes to Andy Morris, Ant and Shaun. Thank you.