Safeguarding schools

Sue Corrick explains how responsible persons can use term breaks to extend the service life of fire doors in school buildings.

Over an academic year, most schools receive between 13 and 15 weeks of school holiday. For students and staff alike, each term break represents a precious period of recreation and recuperation, but for most education facilities, holidays and half terms present an opportune time to complete much needed refurbishment and remedial work.

Fire safety is a core area for concern in particular as, according to the Fire Industry Association (FIA), one in 20 schools experience fire in their buildings. Fires can cause school buildings immeasurable damage, and in response – and as stated under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 – designated responsible persons must conduct ongoing risk assessments to help identify potential hazards within their premises.

Yet, in 2022, research conducted by Allegion UK into the impact of fire doors in education facilities found that almost half of decision makers had encountered issues with fire doors in their buildings, with over half of respondents also revealing they were not aware of fire door maintenance procedures. As such, responsible persons are urged to make the most of their allotted time and budgets during term breaks, extending the service life of fire door hardware to help ensure students, staff, and visitors are safe and secure when doors once again open for the new term.

As part of the Fire Protection Association's continuing commitment to increase fire safety awareness across the built environment, a number of informative feature articles are available to read on our website. You can read the full article here.