It will always be important for education providers to ensure students are protected while on the premises. Alongside a wide range of health and safety measures, this is where fire safety in schools comes in. It’s important for schools, colleges, and universities to be aware of the correct fire safety regulations and protocols, as well as the key passive fire protection systems required to ensure they stay vigilant.
In this blog post, we’re going to explore the main policies you need to be aware of, along with the standards and systems schools can implement to stay compliant.
The Current Fire Safety Regulations in Schools
In order to be prepared, schools and educational establishments should look to bring in the right measures. If a fire were to take place, it could cause not only physical damage to the property, but also emotional distress to those exposed to the disaster. Therefore, making sure the right measures are put in place to minimise any damage or keep it under control. This is why the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RRFSO) was brought in.
Fire Safety in Schools Policies You Need to Know
THE RRFSO outlines exactly what needs to take place to ensure that people within the building are kept safe. It also outlines the measures that need to happen in order for a school, or any other public workplace, to be compliant. Here are two of the main policies you need to be aware of:
Responsible Person
The RRFSO stipulates that a person needs to be appointed as the ‘Responsible Person’, who will be the person responsible for fire safety in schools. It needs to be an employee or person with significant control, or it can also be a group of people who will share the responsibility. In an educational setting, this is often the Headteacher or Governing Body. It may also be an external contractor if they are brought in to maintain fire safety and conduct risk assessments.
Risk Assessments
Under the RRFSO, the Responsible Person is required to carry out fire safety risk assessments on the property. The purpose of this is to identify who may be at risk and what potential hazards or risks there may be. The act also suggests that the Responsible Person is to appoint at least one or more ‘Competent Persons’ to assist in conducting risk assessments and bringing in the right measures to prevent fires and protect those at risk.
The Key Fire Safety Standards to Put in Place
When the first risk assessment is complete and hazards removed, it is then up to the Responsible Person to ensure that key fire safety measures are brought in to reduce the remaining risk. This is where a lot of active and passive fire protection systems can come in.
For schools, there are key measures they can look to bring in to both prevent fires from breaking out and minimise the damage should anything take place. These can include:
- Installing smoke detectors and fire alarms
- Running fire drills at least yearly, or ideally once per term
- Setting a fire assembly point
- Installing clearly identifiable fire safety signage
- Installing fire doors and ensuring they are kept shut and operational at all times
- Installing emergency lighting that will clearly highlight the safest exit routes
It’s also the duty of the Responsible Person to ensure that the appropriate fire extinguishers are available throughout the school. It’s important to know which kinds of fire extinguishers are required, such as water for wood or paper, or CO2 for electrical fires and flammable liquids. MultiCHEM fire extinguishers are often a popular choice due to their ability to handle many sources of fire and be used across a wide variety of classrooms, labs, and kitchens.
How Fire Immunity’s Passive Fire Protection Systems Can Help
If you’re looking to get your fire safety in schools policy and measures in place, Fire Immunity can support you in getting started. Beginning with a fire risk assessment will allow your educational establishment to clearly identify any risks or hazards that need attention. From here, you can then determine which passive fire protection systems may be of use to your school, such as penetration sealing, compounding, and fire barriers.
Take a look at some of our key case studies to see how our fire safety expertise can support your business. Contact us today to get started.