The Forgotten School Policies: Fire Safety Guidance Is “Well Overdue”
A recent Schools Week investigation has revealed critical gaps in government policy updates for schools, with fire safety emerging as a particularly pressing issue. To understand the impact of these outdated policies, Schools Week sought the expertise of Tim Warneford, who warned that guidance updates are “well overdue.”
Tim Warneford highlighted the complexity of fire compliance in schools, calling it “a very sticky subject that no body, party or agency is particularly willing to stick their heads above the parapet for.” He pointed out that schools often struggle to interpret fire safety requirements due to differing insurance policies—some focused solely on preventing fire spread, while others mandate detection and suppression measures.
Perhaps most concerning, he cautioned that many schools attempt to cut costs by conducting in-house fire risk assessments using generic templates. “The enormous risk that stems from the above confusion,” he explained, “is that too many schools undertake their own in-house fire risk assessments via some template they have downloaded as a means of saving money. They thus run the considerable risk of thinking of themselves as compliant.”With school budgets stretched thin and safety requirements unclear, these insights underscore the urgent need for updated, standardized policies. Without them, schools may unknowingly be putting staff and students at risk.
Read the full Schools Week article here for more on this critical issue.
