Education bosses in East Lancashire urged to install sprinklers in schools (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Education bosses in East Lancashire urged to install sprinklers in schools

10:00pm Monday 29th June 2009 in

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EDUCATION bosses are being urged to ensure sprinkler systems are fitted in all schools.

Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service fire safety Technical Team Leader Chris Caton is asking Lancashire County Council and Blackburn with Darwen Council to fit them in existing school buildings as well as new schools under the Building Schools for the Future(BSF) scheme.

Mr Caton, who is based in Hyndburn but covers East Lancashire, said a directive by the Department for Children’s Schools and Families means new builds must fit sprinklers but do not need to put them in schools retrospectively.

But Lancashire County Council has revealed number of primary schools in the county could be fitted with them in the future.

And Blackburn with Darwen Council will be assessing health and safety risks in schools.

Mr Caton has commended Our Lady and St John Catholic College, Blackburn, after incorporting the system into the new sixth form Our Lady and St John Vocational Centre’s design.

He said: “It should be noted that Blackburn with Darwen is the highest district in Lancashire for deliberate fires, or arson. In Burnley area all eight schools recently built have sprinklers fitted.

“According to the Association of British Insurers latest 2008 figures school fires alone cost £33million, with a serious fire every occurring every month. If sprinklers are fitted you can virtually guarantee these schools will still be standing in fifty years time.

“The costs of fitting sprinklers can be redeemed within the first eight years of use in savings on insurance premiums.

“The design freedoms afforded by fitting sprinklers are of considerable help to architects in the innovative designs normally restricted by Building Regulations there are also cost savings of fire protection to elements of structure.

“Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service believe this is a win win situation as has been shown by the architects and fire engineers involved in the design of Our Lady and Saint John Vocational Centre.

“Ideally we would like to see sprinkler in every school but it would cost millions to put that in place.”

Peter Morgan, strategic director of children's services at Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, said: "It is the council's expectation that all the new build BSF schools will be installed with sprinkler systems."

"We will explore all safety and risk reduction processes as part of the school build within the resources available."

Eddie Mather, head of school organisation and provision, said: "All new and significantly refurbished primary and secondary schools where viable, will be fitted with sprinklers.

"All schools in Wave 1 of Building Schools for the Future have sprinkler systems, as has Brindle Gregson Lane Primary School.

"As we undergo further stages of BSF and the Primary Capital Programme in Lancashire, we will be renewing and refurbishing more secondary and primary schools and when planning for building or renovation works we will consider installing sprinklers if it is practical to do so.

"We also have a programme to support prevention measures such as security fences, intruder alarms and fire detection systems."