The Fire Safety Challenge of Educational Buildings

Schools, colleges and universities present fire safety challenges that combine high occupancy with young or vulnerable occupants, complex multi-block campus arrangements, and the operational characteristics of educational use — including out-of-hours occupation for evening events, holiday periods with reduced supervision, and the particular fire load of laboratories, workshops, kitchens and storage areas.

The Applicable Guidance

Fire strategies for schools and educational buildings are primarily developed against Approved Document B and the Department for Education's Building Bulletin 100 (BB100) — "Design for Fire Safety in Schools". BB100 provides specific guidance on school fire safety that goes beyond the general provisions of ADB, addressing the particular characteristics of school buildings including assembly areas, laboratories, sports halls and boarding accommodation.

Means of Escape from Large Assembly Areas

School halls and assembly areas present specific means of escape challenges: large numbers of occupants in a single space, with a requirement for all to escape within a short time. The fire strategy must address the number and width of exit doors from assembly areas, the adequacy of escape routes for the anticipated maximum occupancy, and the management procedures for large events where attendance may vary.

Compartmentation in Schools

Schools typically use smaller compartments than commercial buildings — reflecting the difficulty of managing simultaneous evacuation of large numbers of young people. Fire strategy for schools specifies the compartmentation strategy, which typically divides the school into a number of compartments each capable of containing a manageable number of occupants, with refuge zones accessible from each compartment.

Boarding Schools and Residential Educational Facilities

Where schools include boarding accommodation — dormitories, study bedrooms or residential staff accommodation — the fire strategy must address residential fire safety requirements in addition to the daytime educational requirements. Boarding accommodation is treated similarly to residential occupancy under BS 9991, with compartmentation between bedrooms and protected means of escape.

Arson Risk in Schools

Schools face a higher-than-average arson risk. The fire strategy must address this through compartmentation that limits fire spread from arson attacks, electronic detection systems that provide early warning of fire, and secure perimeter fencing to limit access to the building and roof spaces. Sprinkler systems are increasingly installed in new schools as a direct response to the arson risk.