would you be happy for your child to go to school with no working fire alarm?

BLUEBIE

For one reason or another ds school this week has had no heating, hot water, some rooms with no elec, no working school bell and no working fire alarm. The school has stayed open, which is brilliant, but I was wondering if legally they should have shut the second the alarms stopped working?

I'm not bothered so much by the heating etc, although not ideal, at 14yo they are not babies. But the fire alarm? I'm not to sure I'm happy about?

BEE

easy

BLUEBIE wrote: »

For one reason or another ds school this week has had no heating, hot water, some rooms with no elec, no working school bell and no working fire alarm. The school has stayed open, which is brilliant, but I was wondering if legally they should have shut the second the alarms stopped working?

I'm not bothered so much by the heating etc, although not ideal, at 14yo they are not babies. But the fire alarm? I'm not to sure I'm happy about?

BEE

Hmm, interesting. I'm quite surprised they haven't taken the same H&S stance you are thinking of. Perhaps the Head and governors have done a risk-assessment, and made their decision on that basis?
It may also be that the head has been told by the contractors each day that it would be fixed, hence he/she opened the school believing that the alarms etc would be in operation before long.


As a matter of interest, where have you received this information from? are you sure the facts are right ?

skylight

I would be little miffed about the heating and no electric, but at 14, they can cope!

I would not be sending them without a fire alarm though. Surely there is something 'elf and safety about that.

WestonDave

Its obviously better to have one than not, but I don't think its a requirement to have one (and clearly there will be times when its being worked on etc when it won't work). To be fair if all the staff are aware of it, they have worked out how they will communicate that there is a fire, and that they are all on higher alert then I wouldn't have a problem. Arguably its safer when everyone is being more vigilant because they know the alarm isn't working than when everyone is being casual because they are relying on the alarm. The risk in most of a school is pretty low outside the labs or deliberate arson.

BLUEBIE

Yep def right, spoke to teacher yesterday who said school prob won't be open tom because of the above. School still open today but same situation. Im tending to lean against they are trying to fix it as you said above, being told, all up and running in another hour etc etc. But so far no change.

Like I said I'm not bothered as such, but I would have thought that even if the alarms are only going to be off for an hour or two should the children be there during that time?

BLUEBIE

very true weston dave

peachyprice

If they've been trying to fix it today, fair enough, but if the KNOW it won't be working tomorrow IMO they should not open.

LandyAndy

Personally I would have no hesitation in sending my children to school in the circumstances described.

As long as steps are being taken to resolve the situation I think you have to take a realistic view of risk and the risk of fire is very, very small indeed.

LandyAndy

peachyprice wrote: »

If they've been trying to fix it today, fair enough, but if the KNOW it won't be working tomorrow IMO they should not open.

I'd be pretty certain their insurers would insist they didn't open. Insurers are a miserable bunch, though.;)

MX5huggy

How big is the school? if it was fairly small and all on the ground floor I would be less concerned. On the other hand if it was 1000+ in a multi story building I would have my child home double quick.

Plans_all_plans

As far as I'm aware, it's a legal requirement to have a working fire alarm in a workplace. We have recently had our company's H&S bloke round our office and he kicked up a big fuss that there was no fire alarm on site and the landlord is having to put one in. I'd be very surprised if a school doesn't have to have one in full working order.