Does anyone know of a suitable product for limiting access to FEA in high security settings. This is not a prison or YOI but a school for people with violent tendancies. They have in the past removed FEA from the usual red plastic cabinets and used them as a weapon against property and each other. Break glass manual call points are also a frequent target for abuse. Solution needs to restrict access but still permit it in the event of an emergency. Not an easy ask I know so I wondered what is used in prisons or YOI (I've no direct experience of those institutions). PS: Solution cannot use straps or cables that may be used as a ligature.

Hi I'm not in this environment but I'm going through putting cardax systems in. The thought struck me that a cardax access system would be perfect. Most places need something like this to gain access to the building so why not put these on locked cabinets containing things like fire extinguishers. Just an idea. Graham

As others have stated - our fire extinguishers are all located is staff bases where the service users do not get access to them. This goes for break glass points as well. Note: We have sprinkler systems and L1 alarm system in our facilities, which allows us to keep these locked away from the service users.

if a portable fire extinguisher is not located at a point where it is considered necessary then there is no point having numbers of such items stored in 'other' locations in case of need as it defeats the object of having portable fire extinguishers in the right position in the first place noting that you CAN justify having no portable fire extinguishers at all in certain situations with this being one of them as far as I can tell from your posting i worked in this sector alongside the local Fire&RS [and helping them understand real risk assessment methods etc.] and we came to the understanding that the standard fire extinguisher's we all have were more of a hindrance and could be a hazard than a benefit in some situations so they [the portable FE's] were removed from 'high risk people' [noting that Equality and Human Rights laws also apply here as they should] locations based on a proper risk assessment and management plan thereafter My advice is to get your local internal LA H&S [not EHO's] people involved; that is if your LA has any left and if you are an LA school and U are buying back the service. Or if you are a private school or LA school who is not 'buying back' you will need to get on board a proper H&S person who knows both fire & is competent with regards to your service area as well so as a proper risk assessment and management plan etc. can be carried forward and always involve the local [enlightened] F&RS bods! Thereafter common sense should prevail The big problem you will have is the various gov departments that make U jump over hoops who come around and check up on U as in my experience [having worked with them for ~17 years - but things may have changed since 2014] there are very very very few of them left that are competent risk assessors etc. and the systems they use do not account for anything but the common norm irrespective of the real situation so they have no way of accounting for/doing proper risk assessment -- so this is an area that will also have to manage All in all if there is no chance of fire where a portable FE will be needed then why have them at all noting properly the wording of the RR(FS)O etc. Best of luck