Fire safety measures are essential to avoid fire risk at schools, homes, and other public places. For schools, fire prevention measures are more critical as little children and teenagers are around. Fire safety procedures in schools include the precautions to prevent the chances of potential fire hazards.
Almost every school takes general fire precautions and gives fire safety training to their staff and students. However, an essential component of a fire safety strategy is passive fire protection. It needs to be built into the building during the construction to protect students’ life. It also minimizes the financial impact of damage to buildings. Placing curtain walls, door systems, and other fire-stopping products during the building of the structure can help to prevent school fires.
Fire Safety Plan at Schools
Most risk assessments and inspections conducted across various schools suggest that non-teaching and housing spaces are high-risk areas. Some of these areas include kitchens, offices, prep rooms, storage, and electrical switch rooms.
The best way to fight fire is to prevent its spread. You can do this by applying specific measures during the construction of the school. Some of these fire prevention methods can be-
Curtain walls- These walls protect students and staff while evacuating a building during the fire. This wall creates a physical barrier to stop the spread of fire.
Fire stopping materials- you can get your school walls and floor installed with fire stopping solutions such as fire mortar, fire batts, and fire pillows to develop fire resistance.
Fire doors: Installing schools with fire doors will ensure the slow spread of fire and smoke in the case of fire. Fire doors give you a safe passage to escape.
General Fire Precautions to Take
As mentioned earlier, certain areas in the school carry higher fire risks than others. In such a situation, as a responsible person, you will also need to take general fire precautions. For example, you would want to keep the storage area clean, keep the flammable materials away from the school premises, check the smoke alarms regularly, and more.
Some other steps to ensure better fire safety procedures in schools are:
Keep the fire exits free of any obstruction and use exit signage – the signs should function even in the case of a power failure.
Install fire fighting equipment, including sprinkler systems.
Place and maintain a sufficient number of fire extinguishers in easily accessible spots
Store/use hazardous materials required in the building or at the schools for storage or operational requirements safely and securely.
Prohibit the use of flammable materials, especially in hazardous areas.
Maintain fire alarm systems for detection and warning of fire hazards.
Keep a complete inventory of fire safety equipment in school and conduct periodical checks.
Maintain a high level of training and fire safety awareness among students, staff members, and other people working in the school building.
Install fire fighting equipment, including sprinkler systems.
Perform regular fire safety audits and prepare action plans if there are gaps.
It is essential to have emergency fire safety procedures in schools. You should make sure that it is memorable and actionable. Devise a system based on the following pointers:
Remove – the first and most crucial step is to remove everyone on the premises to safety in case of a fire hazard.
Alert – the next step is to inform/alert emergency services and sound all internal alarms
Confine – once you remove all the people from the premises and inform the authorities, you should focus on containing or confining the fire.
Extinguish – trained staff members should use fire extinguishers and other fire fighting equipment to put out the blaze without taking undue risks.
Emergency fire safety procedures in schools should be physically accessible to all members at all times. Your fire safety policy must be displayed and state what exactly to do if a need arises. You should communicate your emergency evacuation procedures to everyone to know the right way to respond if a fire emergency outbreak happens. You should give your team some fire safety training to help them handle the situation if the need arises.
Importance of fire drill in schools
One of the critical steps to ensuring fire safety procedures in schools is to conduct mock fire drills at regular intervals. School fire drills will prepare the students and school staff to behave calmly in an emergency. Also, ensure there are no overloaded electrical systems, insufficiently protected fuel store areas, or materials producing toxic fumes when heated. Encourage everyone to unplug electrical appliances when not in use and avoid using damaged or old electrical cords. Ensure that all fire exits are unobstructed, wiring is proper, no candles or naked flames are left unattended. All these steps can go a long way in ensuring fire prevention in schools. Fire drills and fire safety education programs for all students, teaching and non-teaching staff, are crucial.
Contact Australian Fire Control today
For more information on fire prevention measures and compliance audits for schools, get in touch today by giving us a call at 1300 226 820 or send us an email at sales@australianfirecontrol.com.au. You can also post an inquiry via our contact form.
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