BAFSA renews determined calls for fire sprinkler systems in schools

According to the Government’s own data, less than 8.5% of new schools constructed since 2015 have automatic fire sprinklers fitted within them and yet there were circa 300 fires in schools last year alone.

Schools that experience a fire outbreak, but have been fitted with sprinkler systems, are often back in action the same day as opposed to the two years that it typically takes to rebuild a school in the wake of a major blaze.

Sprinkler systems dramatically reduce the effect a fire can exert on a school, often limiting the damage to a single room. They prevent the loss of valuable student coursework and school children having studies disrupted due to their classrooms being destroyed or otherwise severely damaged.

Open letter

Along with several other fire safety-focused organisations, including the National Fire Chiefs Council and the National Fire Sprinkler Network, BAFSA has contributed to an open letter to Gillian Keegan (Secretary of State for Education) urging the Government to press forward with its proposed revision of Building Bulletin 100, the design guide for fire safety in schools, and mandate the installation of automatic fire suppression systems in all new schools.

The open letter states: “It’s deeply concerning that Building Bulletin 100, which was necessary to provide fire safety measures specifically for schools that were beyond Approved Document B and BS 9999 in order to protect the continuity of education, has become outdated and disregarded.”

BAFSA’s CEO Ali Perry explained: “The impact of school fires is much greater than the financial cost of any rebuild. There’s also the emotional cost. Schools work hard to establish a positive culture and build relationships, which are then shattered when pupils and staff are displaced due to fire episodes.”

Increased risk

According to insurer Zurich Municipal, who’ve supported this year’s Sprinkler Week campaign, fires in education centres are a large and ongoing issue and, indeed, have been for some time.

Governments in Scotland and Wales have already introduced rules to mandate the installation of sprinklers in all new-build and majorly refurbished schools.

Paul Redington, regional major loss manager for Zurich Municipal, noted: “For several years, we’ve called on the Government to bring English schools into line with the rest of Britain. So far, we’ve yet to see any movement.”

Redington added: “The traditional fire risks posed by arson and ‘hot works’ are supplemented by the increase in complex electronic equipment in schools, not to mention the growing trend among youngsters to use disposable vapes, which themselves contain lithium-ion batteries that can ignite if damaged or disposed of incorrectly.”

Retrograde step

Terry McDermott, secretary of the National Fire Sprinkler Network, added: “Any decision to remove the requirement for sprinklers in new schools would be a retrograde step. Schools are critical buildings in local communities. While it’s accepted that there hasn’t been any loss of life in a school fire to date, the impact of any such loss would be absolutely devastating for the children, parents and the local community as a whole.”

*Further information is available online at www.bafsa.org.uk