Fire Strategy For Schools A Supplementary Guide For Design Teams
Fire Strategy For Schools A Supplementary Guide For Design Teams
Supplementary Guide
For
Planning & Building Unit Design Teams
CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................... 3
1.1 PURPOSE OF THIS DOCUMENT ...........................................................................................3
1.2 BACKGROUND ..................................................................................................................3
1.3 APPLICATION OF THIS SUPPLEMENTARY GUIDANCE ............................................................3
1.4 INITIAL CONSULTATION ....................................................................................................3
1.5 OTHER RELEVANT GUIDANCE DOCUMENTS ........................................................................4
1.6 FURTHER INFORMATION ....................................................................................................4
2. DESIGN GUIDANCE ............................................................................. 5
USE OF THIS GUIDANCE. ..........................................................................................................5
TGD B SECTION 1.1.6 (III) ......................................................................................................5
TGD B SECTION 1.2.3.1 INNER ROOMS ...................................................................................5
TGD B SECTION 1.2.3.2 OPEN CONNECTIONS BETWEEN FLOORS .............................................5
TGD B SECTION 1.2.5.1 CLOAKS IN SCHOOL CORRIDORS ........................................................6
TGD B SECTION 1.2.5.3 SUBDIVISION OF CORRIDORS ..............................................................6
TGD B SECTION 1.4.4.1 CONSTRUCTION OF ESCAPE STAIRWAYS.............................................6
TGD B SECTION 1.4.7 – FINAL EXITS ......................................................................................7
TGD B SECTION 1.4.7 – FINAL EXITS ......................................................................................7
TGD B SECTION 1.4.9.1 EVACUATION LIFTS. ...........................................................................7
TGD B SECTION 1.4.9.2 FIRE PROTECTION OF LIFT INSTALLATIONS GENERALLY. ......................7
TGD B SECTION 1.4.14. SCHOOLS ..........................................................................................8
TGD B SECTION 1.4.15 PROVISIONS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES. ........................................8
TGD B SECTION 1.4.16 FIRST-AID FIRE-FIGHTING EQUIPMENT.................................................8
TGD B SECTION 2.0.2 ............................................................................................................8
COMPARTMENTATION .............................................................................................................9
FIRE SAFETY MANAGEMENT & MAINTENANCE ..........................................................................9
DANGEROUS SUBSTANCES AND PLACES OF SPECIAL FIRE HAZARD.............................................9
TEMPORARY AND RE-LOCATE ABLE BUILDINGS. .........................................................................9
3. APPENDIX .......................................................................................... 10
GUIDE TO DESIGN TEAMS IN RELATION TO ISSUES TO BE ADDRESSED IN FIRE SAFETY
MANAGEMENT IN HAND-OVER DOCUMENTS TO SCHOOLS. ....................................................... 10
STATUTORY OBLIGATIONS..................................................................................................... 10
SMOKING ............................................................................................................................. 10
CLOAKS ............................................................................................................................... 10
MULTI-LEVEL SPACES ........................................................................................................... 11
DISPLAYS ............................................................................................................................. 11
NOTICE BOARDS................................................................................................................... 11
DANGEROUS SUBSTANCES ................................................................................................... 12
COMMUNITY OR ASSEMBLY USE ............................................................................................ 12
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Purpose of this Document
This document provides guidance to Design Teams and School Authorities on fire safety
issues. It was prepared following consultation with the National Directorate for Fire and
Emergency Management Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government
and Chief Fire Officers’ Association.
1.2 Background
The Department of Education and Skills has forecasted an increase of over 45,050 primary
pupils and 24,900 post-primary pupils by the start of the 2017/18 school year. In order to meet
the needs of the growing population of school going children, over the next few years, 40 new
schools will be established and extensions will be required to a significant number of existing
schools. Due to the large school sizes required, a number of these schools are expected to be
multi-storey buildings. The Department currently issues guidelines to Design Teams in relation
to school design. However, it is imperative that school accommodation will be available over
the coming years to meet the population needs and hence the Department is seeking to
minimise the delivery programme timelines. Furthermore the delivery of some of this capital
programme will increasingly be devolved to other agencies external to the Department. It is
therefore important to bring clarity to certain technical requirements which may be interpreted
differently by the professionals designing these buildings. The goal for all concerned is to reach
a greater level of certainty that the designs presented are based on agreed consistent
principals for adequate fire safety in schools design and construction, that will in turn ensure
that the necessary Statutory Certification is obtained with minimal delays incurred in the
building control process as required in Part B of the Building Regulations.
2. DESIGN GUIDANCE
Use of this guidance.
All of the following sections are to be read in conjunction with the most up to date editions of
relevant guides and codes. The purpose here is to emphasise certain aspects of the sections
contained in TGD B 2006 with reference to school building projects. Where a section is not
referenced this does not mean that that section is not relevant to schools and the
recommendations of TGD Part B 2006 and other relevant codes must be considered.
A reference to a technical specification is to the latest edition (including any amendments,
supplements or addenda) current at the date of publication of this Technical Guidance
Document and other relevant standards. However, if this version of the technical specification
and other relevant standards is subsequently revised or updated by the issuing body, the new
version may be used as a source of guidance provided that it continues to address the relevant
requirements of the Regulations and other relevant standards.
Examples of some alternative fire engineering approaches that may be considered for
discussion with the Fire Authority are:-
The voids are enclosed full height in smoke retarding (but not fire resisting) glazing or
automatic drop curtains compliant with ISEN 12101-1-2005; or
Where the separation distance is not met and the provision of a suitable glazed fire screen
cannot be readily provided an alternative design which can be considered is escape through
an adjoining room. However, where this approach is adopted the alternative means of
escape shall only be permitted to pass through one adjoining room and the exit from that
adjoining room must be to a separate compartment or a protected corridor; or
A smoke ventilation system is provided to ensure that a 2 metre high smoke clear layer is
maintained above the floor level on the highest balcony. In addition, any rooms on the storey
below and within the same compartment as the balcony should be separated from the
access space by construction achieving minimum 30 minutes fire resistance integrity.
The above suggested approaches are not exhaustive. Other methods might exist by which an
equivalent level of fire safety can be achieved. It is advised to discuss all such measures in
advance with the Fire Authority. The Design Team should inform the Board of Management of
the measures that have been agreed so that these can be incorporated in the school’s safety
statement. Where the Board of Management is not the client on the building project, the Design
team must ensure that the client is informed and that these measures are documented in the
safety file to be handed over to the school authorities on completion.
In all cases, automatic fire detection to IS 3218 2009 or as subsequently updated should be
provided.
Where the only escape route from a room is via a balcony, the room should be regarded as an
inner room, with the balcony regarded as the access room (see 1.2.3.1). However the inner
room recommendations of BB100, limits the occupancy to 60.
W = ((N/2.5) + (60S))/80
Where:
W = width of final exit, in metres
N = number of people served by ground floor storey exit
S = stair width in metres
Note: Where the number of persons (N) entering the lobby from the ground floor is more
than 60 then the distance from the foot of the stair, or the storey exit (D), to the final exit
should be a minimum of two metres. Where this cannot be achieved then the width of the
final exit (W) should be no less than the width of the stair plus the width of the storey exit.
Compartmentation
Table 1: Maximum dimensions of compartments within schools as per BB 100.
Floor area of any one storey in the school or any one storey in a compartment (m 2)
3. APPENDIX
Guide to Design Teams in relation to issues to be addressed in Fire
Safety Management in hand-over documents to schools.
Statutory Obligations
The main legislation relating to fire safety in buildings in Ireland is the Fire Services Act, 1981
and 2003 Section 18(2) of the Act places a duty on persons having control over premises to
which the section applies.
Guidance on fire safety management is contained in the Code of Practice for the Management
of Fire Safety in Places of Assembly, published by the Department of the Environment (1989).
(Reference in the Code to the public may be considered to include, in the case of schools,
pupils and students, as well as parents and other visitors to schools.) Refer also to the NDA
publication Promoting Safe Egress and Evacuation of People with Disabilities ISBN: 978-1-
870499-18-7.
Further guidance on fire safety management is contained in the UK Department for Education
and Employment - Fire Safety in Schools – First published 2000.
ISBN 0 11 271040 9 Available free to download at:
https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/eOrderingDownload/Fire%20Safety%20Guide.pdf
S.I. No. 299 of 2007 Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General Application) Regulations.
Note in particular Part 2: Workplace and Work Equipment: Chapter 1 – Workplace: 13. Fire
Detection and fire fighting.
All schools are required to keep a Fire Safety Register and a Fire Safety Manual. Where
particular management and maintenance issues arise as a result of a particular approved
design solution, it must be addressed in the school’s Fire Safety Manual. The Design Team
must ensure that the Client is made aware of the Board of Management’s obligations in this
matter.
Smoking
Smoking and careless disposal of smokers’ materials are common causes of accidental fires.
Smoking in school buildings is prohibited under the provisions of the Public Health (Tobacco)
Act, 2002, as amended in 2004.
Additionally, it is the policy of the Department of Education and Skills that smoking should not
be permitted on school grounds.
Cloaks
Cloaks, for storage of clothes and bags, should not form part of or be open to circulation spaces
unless storage is in non-combustible lockers. To prevent unauthorised storage over-head
lockers of bags and other combustibles, the lockers should have sloping tops or be fully
recessed into the wall.
Multi-Level Spaces
Where a school building includes one or more central atria or voids linking storeys, and where
the only escape route from any room on the upper storey is via a balcony in the atrium or void,
strict controls should be in place to avoid unnecessary combustible materials in the atrium or
void.
Clothing or other combustible materials, such as art or craft work, sports equipment, displays,
decorations, Christmas trees, stationery, refuse or waste should not be stored or displayed in
these spaces.
Lockers, or clothes hooks or hangers should not be located in these spaces.
Seating in these spaces should not exceed three square metres in plan, which, when tested in
accordance with I.S.254:1983 will pass the smouldering cigarette test and Ignition Source
Grade No. 7 test. Such seating shall additionally comply with the recommendations in section
2 of Code of Practice for Fire Safety of Furnishings and Fittings in Places of Assembly, issued
by the Department of the Environment (1989).
Floor coverings at ground floor in these spaces should comply with the performance
requirements of ‘low radius of effects of ignition’ as defined in BS 5287:1976.
Notice boards in these spaces should be no more than 2.4m in width, with minimum 3m spacing
from other notice boards on the same wall. Notice boards should be fitted with glass covers
which are normally kept locked.
Display cabinets in these spaces should be in hardwood or non-combustible framing, with
toughened or laminated glass enclosures, and should be used only to display items having a
non-combustibility or limited combustibility rating (as per definition in Appendix A of Building
Regulations 2006, Technical Guidance Document B, Fire Safety, issued by the Department of
the Environment and Local Government (2006).
Displays
There may be displays for national days, Halloween, Christmas, or other celebrations or
events. There may also be other displays on an ongoing basis. These displays could contain
large amounts of paper and decorations (such as paper chains, large posters, etc.) and present
a significant fire load. Additionally, students’ or pupils’ art or craft work may be displayed.
Large displays or Christmas trees should not be located in circulation spaces (including
corridors, lobbies and stairway enclosures) or multi-level spaces. These should be located in
adjacent multi-use spaces such as sports halls or adjacent reception areas.
Hanging displays, such as bunting or Christmas decorations, are acceptable, where they are
of limited size and located remote from sources of ignition, such as electrical equipment.
Displays should not be located in stairways.
Displays should be kept away from curtains, doors and heat sources. Displays should not
obstruct escape routes, fire notices, fire alarm call points, fire fighting equipment, emergency
lights or exit signs.
Notice Boards
Notice boards can present a means of surface spread of flame and therefore the use of notice
boards in particular in circulation areas should be limited.
A notice board should not be provided facing another notice board across a corridor.
Notice boards in central atria or voids linking one or more storeys should be fitted with glass
covers which are normally kept locked.
Notice boards should not be provided in dead end corridors unless covered by a suitable
material (e.g. glass or polycarbonate) and normally kept locked.
The requirement to limit the incidence of paper notices, posters, artwork etc to the designated
notice boards must be carefully monitored by the School Authorities to ensure that this specific
fire safety measure is met.
Display cabinets in central atria or voids linking one or more storeys should be in hardwood or
non-combustible framing, with toughened or laminated glass enclosures, and should be used
only to display items having a non-combustibility or limited combustibility rating.
Dangerous Substances
Flammable liquids, gases and other potentially dangerous substances (for example, those for
use in laboratories) in use should be limited to small quantities (not exceeding amounts
necessary for teaching activities) and handled with extreme care. Storage should be in labelled
suitable containers in designated suitable storage areas.