Sprinklers save schools

Ralph de Mesquita examines the vital role sprinklers play in combating the risk of arson and fire spread in school buildings.

School fires are a serious issue that can have devastating consequences for students, teachers, and communities. In England, Home Office figures show 219 primary and secondary schools were damaged by blazes in 2021/22, compared to 162 the year before – an increase of 35%. Six schools suffered damage to the “whole building” or “more than two entire floors”, and according to claims data from Zurich Municipal, major school blazes can cost up to ￡20 million.

Many schools do have combustible construction, and we are seeing new school buildings constructed with highly combustible and lightweight materials. As insurers we would always advocate non-combustible construction especially in higher risk areas, but unfortunately, we are still seeing decisions being made to include combustible construction. These include:

• timber cladding on timber battens with combustible vapour membranes
• high pressure laminate panels which do not even have the fire retardant properties that higher performing, but still combustible, panels have
• lightweight render systems with highly combustible expanded polystyrene insulation
• combustible insulation behind lightweight cladding systems.

To combat a fire spreading into a building a suitable sprinkler system that is designed, installed, and maintained to BS EN 12845 incorporating Technical Bulletin 221 (TB 221), Sprinkler Protection of Schools, should be installed. Even with a sprinkler system installed, external combustible materials must be controlled or the sprinkler system may need to be extended (e.g. underneath canopies that meet the requirements stated in TB 221).

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.