AGENDA ITEM 12
BOROUGH OF POOLE
CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY COMMITTEE
16 NOVEMBER 2010
CABINET
7 DECEMBER 2010
REPORT OF THE HEAD OF CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE’S SERVICES – STRATEGY, QUALITY AND IMPROVEMENT
POLICY FOR THE PROVISION OF SPRINKLER SYSTEMS IN SCHOOLS
PART OF THE PUBLISHED FORWARD PLAN YES
STATUS Strategic
1. PURPOSE
1.1 The purpose of the report is to seek approval for the policy on the provision of fire sprinkler systems in schools at a time of new build and major refurbishment as set out in Appendix A.
2. DECISIONS REQUIRED
2.1 The Children’s Services Capital Programme Board has considered the proposals set out in this report at its meeting on 21st October 2010 and supported the recommendations therein.
2.2 The Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee is asked to:
a) note the position taken by Government which expects sprinkler systems to be incorporated in all new and major refurbishment projects of schools using public money, and to base decisions whether to include them in future schemes on the life and cost benefit analysis tools published by the Department for Education;
b) recommend that Cabinet support the installation of sprinklers in line with a locally adopted policy. The policy allows a case by case analysis where there is life safety, significant loss of service or the Council is required to do so because of statutory or insurance requirement.
3. BACKGROUND
3.1 In 2007 the Minister for Schools announced a change in the Government’s position on sprinklers in schools. New schools or those undergoing a major refurbishment using public funds would have to complete an analysis using a risk assessment tool to determine whether they should be fitted with a sprinkler system. The expectation was that in the majority of cases this process would result in sprinklers being fitted.
3.2 By way of practical guidance the DCFS has published Building Bulletin 100 (BB100) “Design for fire safety in schools” and assessment tools for fire safety and cost benefit analysis. Fire safety in schools is within the scope of the Building Regulations by referring to the guidance in BB100 which if followed will demonstrate compliance with Building Regulations Requirements B1 to B5.
3.3 The intention of BB100 is thus to address both life safety needs and property protection at the same time and allow designers to tailor their strategy to the location, use and risks identified. For the purposes of BB100, the objectives of property fire protection include:
· Minimising the effects of fire on the operation of the school (primarily teaching);
· Limiting the effects of interruption to operation of the school;
· Seeking to have the school operational within 24 hours; and
· Protecting the buildings.
3.4 The Chief Fire Officer of Dorset Fire and Rescue Service has written to the Council in 2008 and 2009 to endorse the use of sprinkler systems in schools, making particular reference to fire losses resulting from arson attacks to schools.
4. Practical aspects and recognised Standards for sprinkler installations
4.1 Sprinkler installations are substantially protective systems rather than being detection systems such as fire alarms. They have the capability to extinguish fires quickly and locally with minimisation of risk to life, damage to property and disruption to operations.
4.2 For applications in schools, the broadest of definition of sprinkler systems would be a network of pipes charged with water which is released through local discharge points (heads) when the presence of heat is detected. To ensure that there is sufficient water available for operation and to maintain the water within the pipes at pressure, either an adequate mains water supply is required or tanks and/or pumps should be installed.
4.3 These requirements are determined by the results of tests and hydraulic calculations.
4.4 For use in schools, the sprinkler heads would normally be of the recessed design fitted flush to the ceiling surface to discourage interference or vandalism.
4.5 It is a misconception that if a system is activated then all heads operate to discharge water. It is only those heads that are activated by a temperature increase caused by a fire, and in most cases of the activation only one head is needed to control or extinguish a fire. This will reduce but not eliminate water damage.
4.6 Standards for installation of sprinkler systems relevant to schools are given in
· British Standard 5306: Fire extinguishing installations and equipment on premises. Specification for sprinkler systems
· British Standard 9251: Sprinkler systems for residential & domestic occupancies: Code of Practice
5. Costs of sprinkler systems
5.1 In 2007 the DEfS published its estimates of the initial costs of installing sprinklers in school buildings, which were approximately 2.5% of the total building costs for new construction. It was more difficult to give a single figure for refurbishments, but a figure of 4% was suggested.
5.2 In addition there will be annual maintenance costs.
5.3 The financial benefits from incorporating sprinklers are related to
· Allowing possible trade off in design options against additional protection offered by sprinklers
· Avoidance of building and equipment losses, and the additional costs of relocation during repairs
· Minimising disruption to the education process including loss of course work.
6. The experience of Poole to date on sprinkler assessments
6.1 Poole has completed the design for a new Learning Resource Centre, which serves a similar function to a school, but the building is smaller. The DCFS risk and cost benefit assessments were evaluated.
6.2 The design was evaluated as medium risk as regards life safety and that sprinklers were desirable. It was first thought that a sprinkler system satisfying BS9251 could be fitted given the small sizes needing protection. However, the available water supplies were insufficient as regards flow rate and pressure, ruling out this option, and requiring a pumped supply from tank storage, which was very difficult to achieve because of space restrictions of the site.
6.3 The cost benefit analysis did not show any economic benefit from incorporating sprinklers in this instance. In addition the advice from the Council’s insurer was that there was unlikely to be a reduction of fire insurance premium of any significance. Any fire would result in damage to building and contents and costs would be incurred whether for fire damage alone or fire and water damage resulting from sprinkler activation. Being a small building, alternative provision could be found in other CYPS premises during a period of repairs.
6.4 The conclusion reached, with agreement of Building Control, was that the design would not incorporate sprinklers, because of the high degree of fire separation resulting from the subdivision of the building and high staff / pupil ratios. A high level of automatic fire detection with auto dialling to a remote monitoring station was included.
7. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
7.1 There is no additional funding available for fire sprinkler systems. The costs of installation would therefore need to be met from existing Children’s Services capital resources and this will impact on projects necessary to achieve the Age of Transfer and additional pupil place requirements. Therefore, each case will require a cost benefit analysis to ensure the scarce resources currently available to the Council are used to best effect.
8. LEGAL IMPLICATIONS
8.1 There is no explicit legal requirement to install fire sprinkler systems in schools in England, in either existing or new buildings. There have been campaigns and petitions, lobbying Government to make installation of fire sprinkler systems a mandatory requirement but this has not been achieved.
9. RISK MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS
9.1 The proposed policy at Appendix A is that the need for incorporating sprinkler systems in new and major refurbishment projects for schools would be assessed using the Department for Education Fire Sprinkler Assessment.
9.2 Sprinkler systems would be fitted in new schools where the assessment showed a need for reasons of life safety and where their use would contribute to reduction of fire loss.
9.3 Sprinkler systems would be fitted in major refurbishments on the basis of the cost benefit assessment.
10. EQUALITIES IMPLICATIONS
10.1 An Equalities Impact Assessment has identified no specific equalities implications in relation to this policy.
11. CONCLUSION
11.1 The Council is currently embarking on a major programme of construction for the extension and refurbishment of school buildings.
11.2 There is currently no policy in place on which to base decisions whether or not to provide fire sprinkler systems in the Council’s schools.
11.3 In England, fire sprinkler systems are recommended in schools on a risk
assessment basis under Building Bulletin 100 or designed in conjunction with the Building Regulations.
11.4 It is recommended that the Council should adopt the policy set out in Appendix A.
Stuart Twiss
Head of Children and Young People’s Services – Strategy, Quality and Improvement
Contact officer:
David Goodwin
Schools Health and Safety Officer
Environmental and Consumer Protection
01202 276773
BACKGROUND PAPERS
Government guidance relating to schools is contained in the DCSF Building Bulletin 100 - design for fire safety in schools.
Building Regulations Approved Document B. The Building Regulations Part B (amended 2007).
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
APPENDIX A
Fire Sprinkler Systems - part of the Council's Property Strategy
In respect of schools, it is Council policy to:
1. Assess the need for incorporating sprinkler systems in all new and major refurbishment projects for schools by using the Department for Education Fire Sprinkler Assessment.
2. Fit fire sprinkler systems in all new schools, where the assessment shows a need for reasons of life safety, and where the DCSF assessment indicates their use will contribute to reduction of fire loss. The installation will be in accordance with the relevant British Standard to provide protection for the relevant Hazard Standard.
3. Consider fitting fire sprinkler systems in major refurbishments of schools. A decision to be taken on the basis of the results of the Department for Education cost benefit assessment.
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