School fire extinguishers – your FAQs answered
You probably walk past the fire extinguishers in your school every day without a thought. But those little devices are primed and ready for action when needed. But are you? Do you know how to use one? Do you know which types you should be using? How often should they be serviced? And what to do with out-of-date ones? Ashley Hickling, Fire Sales Manager of STANLEY Security answers the most commonly asked questions. You may never look at a fire extinguisher in quite the same way! Even if your premises are kitted out with the latest fire detection and suppressant systems, fire extinguishers are an essential asset when it comes to proofing your building against a fire emergency. They can help control small outbreaks of fire quickly, preventing flames from spreading and causing more damage. In more severe emergencies, fire extinguishers can save lives, helping keep an evacuation route clear and providing crucial access to escape points. In the UK and Wales, The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 includes the present fire extinguisher rules that you’ll need to abide by. A good fire company can explain what you need to comply with the Order, but if you are responsible for fire safety in your school you must have a basic understanding of fire extinguishers. That has to start with an understanding of fire itself. Classes of fire There’s no smoke without fire, or so the saying goes. If only it were that simple. True, the two go hand in hand, but you may be surprised to realise there are different types of fire, with different characteristics. Some fires smoulder with large amounts of smoke and others are the opposite – fast flaming fires with almost invisible smoke. Here are the six classes of fire pertinent to most standard premises: • Class A – fires involving solid materials such as wood, paper or textiles. • Class B – fires involving flammable liquids such as petrol, diesel or oils. • Class C – fires involving gases. • Class D – fires involving metals. • Electrical Fires – fires involving live electrical apparatus (it doesn’t get an ‘official’ category) • Class F – fires involving cooking oils such as in deep-fat fryers. Class A is the most common fire type, but walking around your school you should be able to identify areas where other fire types might arise. Matching the fire with the fire extinguisher Over the years, different types of fire extinguisher have been developed to deal with the different fire types. Here are the types of fire extinguisher, their colour code (put on the extinguisher for quick identification) and what types of fire they are suitable for: • Water (red label): Class A only • Water Mist (white label): All classes • Foam (cream label): Class A & B • Dry Powder (blue label): Class A, B, C & some electrical • Carbon Dioxide (CO2) (black label): Class B & electrical • Wet Chemical (yellow label): Class A & F At present, UK rules require you to have a minimum of two water extinguishers on each level of the building, typically located by exits and fire alarm call points. However, a combination of one water and one CO2 or foam fire extinguisher is a common approach as the latter can be used to safely extinguish electrical fires without any damage to electrical equipment, which is present in most buildings. Whilst dry powder extinguishers on the surface look suitable to cover a range of fires, it should be noted that these are not ideal for enclosed spaces as the powder is easily inhaled and the residue is not easy to clean up. If you are, however, looking for a fire extinguisher that covers all the standard fire types then Water Mist extinguishers are for you. One of the newer technologies on the market, Water Mist extinguishers release microscopic particles of water that suffocate a fire rather than douse it. As they can be used for all fire types, they are ideal for using in areas that have multiple fire risks, rather than requiring multiple fire extinguisher types. The life of fire extinguishers Let’s face it, most fire extinguishers will never do a day’s work in their lives…and that’s the way you want it! However, should you have need of them you want them ready to work at a moment’s notice. To ensure they work, they need to be serviced every twelve months or after each use. They must be replaced at the end of their lives which is ten years for CO2 extinguishers and 15 years for all others. Even if your extinguisher hasn’t been used or is new, check it regularly and get it replaced if you notice any of the following characteristics. • The hose or nozzle is cracked, ripped, or blocked with debris. • The locking pin on the handle is missing or unsealed. • The handle is wobbly or broken. • The inspection sticker or hang tag, with a record of check-ups and maintenance, is missing. If you do have to dispose of your extinguisher, then do not put it out with your rubbish. If you have very small school with just a couple of fire extinguishers then you could take them to a local recycling centre where staff will know what to do with them, but do check with you council first. By far the easiest option is to arrange for disposal by a recognised and licensed disposal company, who will make it safe before removing it and make sure you get a Waste Transfer Note as proof. Using your fire extinguisher Of course, it’s not just your fire extinguisher that needs to be ready in the event of a fire – you do too. The good news is that fire extinguishers are easy to use, mostly with the P.A.S.S. method: P. Pull the pin on the fire extinguisher to interrupt the tamper seal. A. Aim the fire extinguisher low, with the nozzle
Fire safety in schools: a guide
Ashfords legal, professional and regulatory services experts offer advice on how to keep your pupils safe in the event of a fire, and what to do to ensure you are meeting regulations on fire safety in schools… Following the Grenfell Tower tragedy in June last year, the importance of fire safety systems has come in to focus. One sector reviewing this area is education. Many school buildings have cladding which is not fire resistant and contains asbestos. Often, schools are not fitted with sprinkler systems. Angela Rayner, the shadow education secretary, recently announced that a future Labour government will put sprinkler systems in all new school buildings and pay to remove asbestos and flammable cladding from existing sites. This commitment forms part of a £14 billion capital investment pledged by Labour, which the party claims will “bring all schools up to a good standard”. In addition, the government has been forced to review the guidance on sprinklers in schools having previously claimed that additional spending on sprinklers would outweigh any savings in preventing damage to school buildings. The guidance was previously the subject of a consultation in August 2016 which proposed changes to its wording. The changes were notable as they removed the expectation that most new school buildings would be fitted with sprinklers. Despite criticism of the changes suggested in the consultation, the government insisted the recommendation was only a change of language, not of actual rules governing sprinkler installation. However, figures released recently by School’s Week revealed that of the 260 schools rebuilt as part of phase one of the government’s priority school building programme, just 74 have, or are planned to have, sprinklers fitted. Furthermore, according to David Amess, chair of the all-party parliamentary group for fire safety, since 2010 the proportion of new school buildings installing sprinkler systems has plummeted from 70 per cent to 35 per cent. Requirements for fire safety in schools: Schools are required to undertake risk assessments to identify the general fire precautions needed to safeguard the safety of occupants in case of fire, including their safe means of escape. Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RRO) fire legislation has become simplified. The Department for Communities and Local Government has produced a guide for schools – fire safety risk assessment: educational premises. The guide deals with the provision and management of fire safety. You will need to: ensure procedures are in place to reduce the likelihood of fire; maintain fire detection and alarm systems; ensure staff and pupils are familiar with emergency evacuation procedures; and calculate the numbers of persons likely to be in any areas of assembly and ensure your exit capacities are sufficient for those numbers. It is important that: fire risk assessments are kept up to date; and fire precautions remain current and adequate (they should be reviewed in detail when significant alterations are made to a school’s premises). Ashfords is a national provider of legal, professional and regulatory services. If you require support in relation to fire safety or further information please contact a member of Ashfords’ Regulatory Consultancy team.
Fire door checklist
Fire doors are designed to prevent the spread of smoke, flames and toxic gases throughout a building in the event of a fire. Therefore, when a fire door is held open, or is faulty, fire can quickly pass through the building, blocking escape routes and endangering lives. A quick fire door checklist: Check the door’s hinges. Are they CE stamped and do they fit correctly? Check the correct fire signage is displayed. Check your door holder/closer device. Check it works, and check that it does not need updating. Check your locks and hatches are CE marked and not damaged. Check that the seals and vision panels are free from damage. Legally, a building’s fire doors must be self-closing to ensure the door closes to act as a barrier that stops the fire from spreading. It is recognised that it is sometimes necessary to hold fire doors open for practical reasons e.g. easing access, increasing ventilation. Wedging open fire doors with a wooden wedge will put the people in the building at risk. The door will not automatically close if it’s held open this way. If you want to hold the fire door open, it must have a device installed to release the door, so that it will close upon activation of the fire alarm system. Fire door retainers such as the Agrippa magnetic fire door holder are fitted hygienically to the top of the door and use a magnet to hold open heavy fire doors that will release in the event of a fire. This is not a comprehensive list and further advice should be sought directly from your fire door supplier to ensure your fire door is fully safe and compliant. We also advise you to view the Fire Safety: Approved Document B. Which covers building regulation in England covering fire safety matters within and around buildings. Agrippa magnetic fire door holder Hygienically installed at the top of the door Releases the door on the sound of the fire alarm Wire-free so no disturbance to building infrastructure Fitted in just ten minutes 2 x C cell batteries Conforms to BS EN1155 and recognised by UK Fire and Rescue Services CE marked under the Construction Products Regulation EMC approved Agrippa fire door closer Easy, wire free installation and programming 2 x C cell batteries Free-swing mode makes doors feel light and easy to move Adjustable closing speed Conforms with BS EN1155 and EN1154 and recognised by UK Fire and Rescue Services CE marked under the Construction Products Regulation EMC approved The Agrippa fire door closer is fitted in place of a traditional door closer to hold the fire door open in any position, whilst ensuring the door will close in the event of a fire. Fire safety is a vital consideration for any business, large or small, which protects your employees and your building assets.
Fire Safety in Schools: What Can be Done?
Pupil safety in schools is paramount. From anti-bullying policies to teaching pupils about being safe online, a large portion of a child’s school day revolves around security and protection. This includes fire safety. All education facilities are required by law to implement a stringent fire policy, with alarms, evacuation procedures and risk assessments. But with the tragedy at Grenfell, which subsequently highlighted flammable cladding on a number of schools, many are calling for improvements. But what steps can be taken? And what additional practices should be implemented? Simple Measures Commenting on this issue, and on what improvements could be made, experts at Rocburn stated that the government needs to review fire safety across the board: “The UK recently saw the serious effects of fire damage in Grenfell Tower (sadly leading to the loss of life) and it’s important that the government and fire regulation rules are reviewed in terms of the exterior (and interior) materials used. Long term plans could be simple measures such as, reviewing what materials are not highly flammable and considering how the better design and structure of fire escape routes could potentially improve the process for when people exit a building.” Interior systems are vital in making sure every occupant is aware that there is a potential hazard and frequent drill procedures can help everyone to practice responding to alarms. Our products such as the smoke control system are governed by standards such as BS EN12101 and it’s these checks that make sure our equipment is the best it can be.” Building Improvements While new school buildings have been designed with better fire safety regulations, many older buildings need further development. As such, Labour have recently pledged £14billion to install sprinklers, but what improvements can school leaders make? “Everyone at Rocburn continuously look for ways to keep our smoke ventilation amongst other products the very best. A well-designed smoke control system for schools can not only protect the occupants within the building but improve external efforts from local firefighters and on-site operations. The Education sector has taken cuts over a period of years and that doesn’t just disturb the children’s rights to have the best education, it can affect their safety too. It’s crucial the schools look to attaining the latest and safest smoke ventilation and fire safety equipment.” Education Finally, in addition to updating building safety and procedures, schools also need to put a greater emphasis on education. Although teaching should take precedence, better fire education could help to save lives. While providing this within budget constraints can be difficult, a spokesperson from Rocburn stressed its importance: “A lot of the time, schools have a set budget in which will be split across the departments. Education for the students does come first, in most cases however there could be ways schools could educate children from the offset. This might include fire safety drills more regularly and showing children in education the dangers of how a fire can spread.”