Hello, 

A headteacher just told me that a previous Fire Risk Assessment for her primary school stated she needed to remove the curtains separating a shelved store and the classroom itself (more visual benefit than preventing access) and replace with a solid door. The items stored are all primary school items, so paper, pencils etc.

I cannot locate this comment on their recent assessment (Oct. 2023), so I don't want to advise them to financially invest in things that aren't necessary as budgets are tight for them.

Can any one offer any advice, on whether these do need to be replaced (was the comment misunderstood initially), they could be replaced for fire retardant material in the same way their notice boards have been along corridors, or they do indeed need to have solid doors put in?  Another classroom has no door at all from the class to the store area, so I'm assuming its a misunderstanding but it would be good to get some advice!

Thank you for any comments!
(A newbie to H&S in schools)

Is there any higher risk items in the store such as an electrical distribution board?

Hi AnthonyB, thanks for the question - no there is not. Just general teaching stuff!

 

Is it a full room or more a big cupboard?
I do a lot of schools work and the doors required to be fire doors is often less than you think.

I'd need to see the building to be definitive but it's certainly not automatic.

Hi Anthony - its just a store cupboard, floor to ceiling with shelving, but I'd say the foot print is approx 3ft x 5ft? (I'm not in the school to measure - going on memory!)

It sounds the same as a set of shelving, just recessed as a built in cupboard - sounds a little overkill I'd agree!

Without a door I'd just see it as part of the classroom.  I'd just want to be sure that if the curtain was closed then it wouldn't in any way block the detection of a fire in the storeroom.