What's the view on displays/installations (i.e. forests, under the water themes)  and children's artwork in the school corridors? Should they be taken as it's a combustible material?

What’s the risk?

Sometimes fire people want everything to be sterile -they think that protected fire routes should be lined with bare concrete. But schools like to  display children’s work and Ofsted expects to see work out  on show. Sometimes corridors are the only places to show such work(not many schools have dedicated exhibition spaces).

What is the risk of fire breaking out?

Nobody smokes inside buildings now; there are no heaters in the corridors; there are no processes that generate heat in those areas or create an ignition source. The school is provisioned with adequate fire exits and alternative routes exist.

So, what’s the risk?

If you were to look at the guidance in Practical Fire Safety Guidance For Educational And Day Care For Children Premises, Paragraphs 137 and 167 are referring to wall displays and displays in corridors in schools

Basically if wall mounted limit them to runs of three metres with a metre gap between and not facing each other on the walls or cover them in perspex.

I wouldnt allow any static table display of combustible materials in a narrow school corridor where this is a means of escape and would restrict the width of the escape, there will be plenty better places within the schools to display things.

I am afraid school pupils are the one group I find still smoke indoors!!   Usually in the toilets!!

Table 6.1 "Classification of Linings" Approved Document B to the Building Regulations states circulation spaces should be Euroclass B-s3,d2 which translates as Class 1 in accordance with BS 476-7 not Class 0.

But then the regulations are discussing the fabric of the building and not some transient display of pupils work.

In reality is it a significant fire load or in the unlikely event will it just burn itself out?

Probably more risk from the overloaded notice board with its layers of neglected and no longer useful information.

Most schools I know of are more worried about what Ofsted says than any fire inspector and of course they can ask why are shops full of flammable items on open shelving. Could it be that that the retail sector has persuaded the powers that be that they must have things on display . Imagine a fire breaking out on that aisle full of greasy plastic wrapped crisps.

Edited by user 24 November 2021 14:55:39(UTC)  | Reason: words and thgings

Originally Posted by: A Kurdziel

Most schools I know of are more worried about what Ofsted says than any fire inspector and of course they can ask why are shops full of flammable items on open shelving. Could it be that that the retail sector has persuaded the powers that be that they must have things on display . Imagine a fire breaking out on that aisle full of greasy plastic wrapped crisps.

Arsonists use bags of CRISPS to start fires because the fat is so flammable that it creates a potent and 'untraceable' accelerant

• Fire investigators learned of the technique from colleagues in the prison service
• Crisp packets are innocuous-looking and burn leaving minimal traces behind
• Experts tested the approach measuring how easily packets of crisps catch fire
• Firefighters were amazed at how effectively crisp bags work as an accelerant

Originally Posted by: firesafety101

  If in doubt shout out to the local Fire Safety department of the FRS.  They will have the correct answer.

No they will have what they belive is the correct answer, which is a little different - i was a H&S inspector for 30 years - does that mean im correct on evreything? Definatley not we are all human and interprite things in different ways - only the courts can give you a definative answer and sadly by then its usuakt two late.

Originally Posted by: Messy

I do sometimes think there's an over reliance on standards when carrying out a FRA Its impossible to visualise the OPs situation, so to say its not allowed is a bit draconian yet on the other hand, measuring notice boards and installing them in a staggered fashion may be excessive Can't we just be brave and use a mix of common sense, experience and professional judgement here BTW, while it's always good practice to consider ignition sources (ie what are they in a corridor?) , please remember fire spread from a classroom, store or riser isn't impossible- unlikely, but not impossible especially at break times and after school times

Messey, this being a question about school corridors I would like to expect the "mix of common sense, experience and professional judgement" to consider the occupants of the school to be mostly minors and without the common sense we gain as we grow into adulthood.

My High School. So many many years ago, experienced a fire involving rubbish accumulated inside the plywood hollow wall of a means of escape.  The fire broke out into the corridor effectively blocking that MOE.

It does happen, it DID happen and it can happen again.

Our experience as firefighters has given us many memories of various fires and my memories contain a good few school fires where fire spread has caused a great deal of damage.

I never take chances.

I know there is a school of thought where people think retired firefighters should not do FRAs unless they have received 'proper training'.

This must be a case where actual fire experiance plays a major part in the FRA.

Originally Posted by: A Kurdziel

“So many many years ago, experienced a fire involving rubbish accumulated inside the plywood hollow wall of a means of escape.” So do you strip out all plywood  walls back to the brick work as a matter of course now?

Why would you, if they are in good condition and satisfy the requirements of Class 0.

Bit hard to meet BS 476 Class 0 when the plywood manufacturers have been required to apply Euroclass since 2013​​​​​​​ https://www.falconpp.co.uk/media/32389/fire-retardant-ply-euroclass-explained.pdf

There was some damage to the hardboard on both sides and school kids were dropping rubbish into the gap as they walked past.  It is believed that discarded smoking materials (match or ciggy) dropped into the gap was the cause of fire.

The damage was there for a good while so I suppose you could say the school was careless in not having it repaired.

I remember it well because a few months after the fire I joined Liverpool Fire Brigade and was posted to the watch and station that attended the fire.

As someone who regularly carries out inspections in schools, I would expect that corridors would have suitable "fire breaks" between combustible displays as previously mentioned.

If there were combustible displays in escape stairs I would request they be removed.

As also stated previously, there is a balance between maintaining safety and being a miserable sod telling the school to tear all the kiddies' drawings down!