Posted By shaun mckeever Roger The fire authority never did carry out your fire risk assessments even before the changes in legislation. In fact the fire authority in GMC took a headteacher to court for failing to carry out an adequate fire risk assessment, although in her case I believe the local authority were found to be responsible. With respect to your signage problems your fire risk assessment should identify the exit routes that are available for use in an emergency. Any route that is designated as an emergency exit route must be clearly and unambiguously signed. In some workplaces such as offices it is not always necessary to indicate routes that are in every day use because occupants are likely to be familiar with those routes, but if the building is likely to be used by persons who are unfamiliar wth the building then they must be considered and normal routes would have to be indicated. If your school is used by others e.g. social events in the evening then the signage must be for these people as well.

Posted By Ken Taylor Not much good if the fire is on the approved route! You need to take Shaun's point and indicate all alternative exit routes and to have fire instruction notices by call-points. Occupants should normally leave by the nearest available safe exit route. Schools usually didn't have fire certificates under the old scheme either and the Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations required fire risk assessment - so it should now be a matter of reviewing and updating your existing assessments in the light of the guidance associated with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order.