Fire Safety Inspection ?

[fay]

We have just had a fire safety inspection and been told to follow his instructions or be closed down! these are remove all fabric and soft furninshings, without the appropriate fire safety markings all of which is probably all of our fabric and furnishings, our free flow door strips must be taken down or tied out of the way beacause the door is a final exit, the excessive amounts of paper or card - my creative area - must be thrown out, cut down on display boards and anything hanging from the ceiling. My outside door must be a fire door and so I must take down the fence because I cannot exit into an eclosed space???

If we do all of this we won't be getting good scores in anyone else's inspection including ECERS and Ofsted which we are due.

What does everyone else do?

Does all of your fabric have the correct british standards.

Are you paper free or do you put your paper in tins?

do you freeze at free flow?

I know he is correct and they will burn but it's so unlikely to catch fire I feel it's a reasonable risk to take.

please let me know what you do - is there a way to avoid becoming a sterile environment?

Edited October 21, 2011 by fay

[HappyMaz]

I've never heard of anything like this in my life! I can perhaps see the logic behind his comments re your final exit door - but actually the strips are probably easier to negotiate in an emergency than a door, but what do I know?

 

I'd be inclinced to contact your Local Authority urgently for clarification. Maybe he is just being overzealous. Either that or he's on a mission to close every pre-school in your area.

 

Sorry I can't be of much help.

[hali]

Blimey i agree with M contact LA mon am for advise

[sunnyday]

I've never heard of anything like this in my life! I can perhaps see the logic behind his comments re your final exit door - but actually the strips are probably easier to negotiate in an emergency than a door, but what do I know?

I'll second that!

 

I can't imagine what he would make of my creative area - it's full of paper, card, boxes, material etc.etc. - wouldn't be much of a creative area without would it.........

 

We were once 'ticked off' because we had the door to our room 'propped open' (door stop thingy) - we were told that as it's a 'fire door' (metal inside - not a fire door with a push down handle) that it should be closed at all times as it's there to prevent fire entering the room.......

 

Good luck

[fay]

I've never heard of anything like this in my life! I can perhaps see the logic behind his comments re your final exit door - but actually the strips are probably easier to negotiate in an emergency than a door, but what do I know?

 

I'd be inclinced to contact your Local Authority urgently for clarification. Maybe he is just being overzealous. Either that or he's on a mission to close every pre-school in your area.

 

Sorry I can't be of much help.

 

Thanks Maz

- you are quite right - The free flow doors are much easier to go through than the actual doors which the children can't open because their too heavy!!!

 

My EY co-ordinator is contacting county, but our school H&S person wants us to follow instructions and not be difficult.

I have asked if it's possible to speak to the fire officer and clarify some statements, I know there are some things he hasn't mentioned that come into the relevant safety documents ( I won't be pointing those out!) and his quotes from these documents about furnishings and displays are not correct. I'm looking for information to support our point of view.

[louby loo]

I am a bit fussy about any fabrics hanging off wall/celings - and they are fire retardant, the same with 'soft furnishings' within the room - ie the small sofa and any cushions have a fire retardant barrier lining and suitable fabric coverings, and our curtains are BSS. However I was in 'interior decorations' in a former life so a bit over-the-top about these things.

 

As for the rest of the room, well don't mention the scrap box area then!!!!!

[fay]

[

We were once 'ticked off' because we had the door to our room 'propped open' (door stop thingy) - we were told that as it's a 'fire door' (metal inside - not a fire door with a push down handle) that it should be closed at all times as it's there to prevent fire entering the room.......

 

Good luck

 

Thanks

yes we can't prop our doors open and we need bring the level of the playground up to make a level walk through the fire door and then ramp it, there are six pages of things to do around the school.

 

and really the most likely thing to cause fire would be the irate members of staff!!!

[louby loo]

Actually thinking about it, I think this is a very difficult area.

 

Anyone that has anything to do with a real fire is likely to be overzealous due to the nature of what they may have witnessed in real life. I remember my husband had had to go into a house affected by fire - and that evening he came home very quiet and almost stripped our kitchen out of all potential hazards.......... almost everything in it!! This was something he needed to 'work through' and over time everything + a lot more is back.

 

Things like outdoor exits into enclosed areas are actually common sense, the last place to be during a fire is right next to a building/glass windows etc................ but we're in early years and need to keep the children safe in a daily context.

 

Fire doors so need to be kept shut - they are there to stop fires spreading........ but again in early years we need to be able to get in and out easily and the children need to develop independence.

 

I really don't know the answer- but I can see both points of view.