27 March 2003.
A dramatic rise in the annual cost of fires in Scottish schools has lead to the publication today of new guidance for Scottish schools, local authorities, PFI firms and building contractors. The new guidance is published by Zurich Municipal, the leading provider of risk management and insurance to Britain's public service providers. The total cost of school fires across the UK reached a record £96.6 million in 2002. Analysis of Zurich Municipal’s own figures revealed that Scottish schools accounted for 34% of the total nationwide cost of fire damage to schools in 2002 – the first year for which such regional figures have been published.
The new guidance, 'The design and protection of new school buildings and sites', has a foreword by Dennis Davis, the Chief Fire Inspector for Scotland. Launched today (Thursday) at the COSLA Annual Conference, it is intended to provide practical advice and guidance to help cut the cost of fire setting and other fires that can spread quickly in school buildings. One of the key recommendations in the report is that all new schools should include a sprinkler system.
Much of the damage to schools caused by fire is unnecessary according to Zurich Municipal. The new guide makes a number of recommendations to improve the design of school buildings so that fire spreads less quickly, and security is a greater priority. Specific problems to avoid include:
-
Inadequate fire detection and an absence of sprinklers.
-
Easily accessible, often flat roofs, recessed doorways and other potential hiding places and vulnerable points.
-
Lack of appropriate waste storage areas – many fires are started by casual intruders setting fire to rubbish, which then spreads to main buildings.
The design document contains detailed practical advice on tackling these problems, counters ill-informed reluctance to install sprinkler systems in new and refurbished buildings, and warns against 'quick fix' solutions such as CCTV, which on its own cannot prevent arson.
Larry Stokes, Underwriting Manager at Zurich Municipal and chair of the Arson Prevention Bureau’s Schools Working Group, said; "Fire setting in schools is a serious issue. Apart from the enormous financial cost and the effect on local authority budgets, large fires cause untold damage and disruption to children’s education."
"Through Public Private Partnerships and other funding, the Scottish Executive is paving the way for an unprecedented programme of new school building and the extension or refurbishment of existing buildings. Those responsible for school design should seize this opportunity to design schools that are more resistant to attack, and better able to contain fires in a small area."
"Many fires can be prevented at the design stage through basic, cost free measures. Sprinkler systems – the single most important step a school can take to minimise fire damage, can also be installed more cheaply in new buildings, and savings on insurance premiums will repay the costs in only a few years."
Dennis Davis, Her Majesty’s Chief Fire Inspector for Scotland, writing in the foreword to the document, said; "Adopting a strategic approach to meeting the challenge posed by the rising incidence of school fires is clearly important. This practical guidance from Zurich Municipal is welcome. The common sense and useful advice given in this publication will help all those who have direct responsibility at a local level to find working solutions to the problem of school fires and the damage they cause."
-Ends-
Notes to Editors:
-
COSLA (the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities) is the representative voice of Scotland’s unitary local authorities. COSLA's Annual Conference 2003 takes place from Wednesday 26 March until Friday 28 March 2003 at the St Andrews Bay Hotel, St Andrews, Fife
-
Zurich Municipal is the leading provider of risk management and insurance solutions to Britain's public services. The company employs nearly 600 staff dedicated to providing expert advice and support to public service providers. For further information visit
www.zurichmunicipal.com -
Zurich Municipal reached its 10th anniversary in March 2003 - a month that also marked the 100th anniversary of Zurich Municipal's predecessor organisation - Municipal Mutual Insurance.
-
Zurich Municipal is part of Zurich Financial Services, an insurance-based financial services provider with an international network that focuses its activities on its key markets of North America, the United Kingdom and Continental Europe. Founded in 1872, Zurich is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland. It has offices in approximately 60 countries and employs about 68,000 people.
For further information please contact:
Pritie Billimoria, Helen Cherns, Catherine Webster or Robert Blevin.
Tel: (0)20 7535 9950
