Bucks Fire and Rescue have urged education bosses to make sure schools are safe before the kids return
Throughout the past year, education premises have seen their doors temporarily close, or open only to limited numbers of key workers and vulnerable children.
Teachers, support staff and children alike have had to adapt and show great versatility in the way they teach and receive education.
Bucks Fire and Rescue say they recognise the challenging time this has been and would like to give praise for all their efforts.
But as schools begin to open more broadly on 8th March, they're urging each facility's Responsible Person (the person having control of the building, or a degree of control) to be prepped and ready for the weeks ahead. They need to:
- Review the fire risk assessment to ensure that it is current, and arrange for amendments to be made if anything has changed recently.
- Ensure the weekly fire alarm test procedure is completed and the fire alarm system has an up-to-date service history.
- Ensure that any emergency lighting is tested.
- Consider a fire door survey – this will check that all the engineered safety features on your fire doors, which should not be propped open, are intact.
- One-way systems – do any COVID-19 measures satisfactorily take account of travel distances for emergency exits?
- Temporary staff – are all staff members fully aware of fire safety measures, including evacuations, drills, and fire assembly points?
- Firefighting equipment – any extinguishers should have an monthly visual check for condition and pressure and an annual technician service.
- Commercial kitchen – is your kitchen ready for the higher demand in usage? Systems such as extraction ducting, ventilation and gas and electric should all be maintained, serviceable and fit for purpose.
- Does your fire assembly point consider social distancing measures?
- Road safety – are staff, parents and children aware of the likelihood of increased traffic conditions over the coming weeks? Be extra vigilant on the roads as life returns to some form of normality.
- Arson prevention – the educational grounds should be secure and only accessible by authorised people. Correct measures should be in place for waste disposal, where this is removed on a frequent basis.
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