School closure checklist
Things to consider before closing a school for an extended period.
What is a school shutdown checklist?
A school shutdown checklist is important alongside school insurance to mitigate health and safety risks when your school is closed for an extended period.
This includes both planned/scheduled closures (e.g. during school holidays) and unexpected shutdowns, such as when schools were forced to close suddenly during the first Covid-19 lockdown.
What checks are required before closing a school?
Closing a school isn’t as simple as sending people home and locking the gates. Extended periods of school closure can lead to increased risk of incidents such as theft, vandalism and arson.
A school shutdown checklist can provide a framework for safety checks. A checklist should be used alongside an ongoing process of risk assessment throughout the closure.
Need help with risk assessment?
If you're looking for support with risk assessments and other aspects of risk management, Zurich Resilience Solutions (ZRS) may be able to help. ZRS is the risk advisory business under the Zurich Insurance Group. ZRS provides practical advice and tailored risk management solutions, built on 75 years of risk engineering expertise.
School closure checklist
Below is a short checklist designed to help schools ensure they have addressed the risks they may face during closures.
- Valuable equipment is secured and out of view?
- Flammable materials are locked away?
- Rubbish is removed from the building and secured away from the building?
- All internal doors are kept shut?
- Windows and any grilles are locked shut?
- External doors are adequately locked/secured?
- Security alarm is working correctly and activated whenever the building is secured (zoned if necessary)?
- Security keyholder response is updated and adequately resourced?
- External lighting is operational?
- CCTV is still operational?
- Fire alarm is operational, and any faults reported/rectified?
- Windows are intact and any broken windows repaired/boarded up?
- Insurer has been notified of any planned hot works?
- Hot work permit procedures are strictly adhered to?
- Roof tiles/slates/flashing/skylights appear in good condition (visible check from ground)?
- Fencing complete and effective, and gates locked (look for signs of access)?
- Regular inspections of the property are completed for signs of intrusion, damage or water leaks?
- Mail is cleared from the letterbox during property inspections?
- Emergency contact list is up-to-date and accessible?
- Utilities (water, gas, electricity) are checked and shut off if not needed to reduce the risk of fire or water damage?
- A log is maintained for all inspections and maintenance activities?
Fire risks in schools
Fire risks can be heightened during school closures, in part because hazards may be more likely to go undetected for longer.
Research from Zurich Municipal has found, for example, that there are more school fires in August (when schools are closed for summer holidays) than any other month of the year. Many of these fires are started deliberately, while increased fire risk can also be linked to school building work involving hot works (any operation using open flames or applying heat and friction).
For more information on hot works, please refer the links below:
Schools can minimise fire risks through a robust approach to risk assessment.
This includes properly vetting external contractors and their insurance cover, mapping out vulnerabilities and fire risks, and conducting regular checks to spot potential hazards, for example, evidence of unauthorised access, or disturbance of, or damage, to fire protection equipment.
Flood risks in schools
School shutdowns can also mean the early signs of flooding or escape of water (such as burst pipes) may go undetected.
Regular premises checks (including guttering, drains and roofing) are recommended. Consider draining down water services like tanks and pipework in any buildings that will be empty for an extended period.
Other flood risk mitigation measures could include moving valuable items or equipment well above floor level. You could also look into using water-resilient plaster or fitting non-return valves on pipework.
Additionally, consider whether it is worth investing in demountable or temporary flood protection systems, such as flood barriers for doorways, during school shutdowns.
Minimising the risk of intruders
Regular checks and a robust approach to risk assessment before and during closures can help make sure school buildings don’t become a target for vandalism or theft, and can ensure issues or vulnerabilities are identified and fixed as early as possible.