The Chief Fire Officers Association. Guidance on the Provision of Sprinklers in Schools

Transcription

1 Guidance on the Provision of Sprinklers in Schools

2 FOREWORD FOREWORD BY TOM CARROLL QFSM, MIFireE Education is the Governments top priority. The vision is to transform the education environment. To achieve this they have embarked on an ambitious programme to rebuild or renew every secondary school in England over the next years. The Chief Fire Officers Association (CFOA) has for many years campaigned for the inclusion of sprinklers in schools. I believe the case for sprinklers is stronger now than at any time. It is a worrying fact that schools are still experiencing fires at an alarming rate. Year on year, when the statistics are published for major fires, educational establishments are always at the top of the list. It is also a concern that an increasing number of school fires, in some areas over half, are occuring when the schools are occupied. As fire officers we know that the true cost of arson in schools goes far beyond the huge financial losses incurred. Think of the disruption to teachers and students, no matter how valiant their efforts at recovery, an arson attack on a school will inevitably affect educational prospects. The devastating effect on local communities is also a major concern, particularly now that school buildings are being utilised for a whole range of activities. Schools of the future need to be attractive user friendly 24/7 community resources. The most effective teachers wish to design and develop learning spaces to suit their own methods. Maximum flexibility of spatial planning is the key, not over restrictive compartmentation. Teachers want to be able to innovate with furnishings and displays, not be constrained. Teaching methods in 20 years time will be unrecognisable, learning spaces must be capable of expansion and subdivision to suit. It is my confirmed belief that if we consider sprinklers at the design stage of a project then they can be a major factor in enabling designers and architects in creating buildings which will inspire learning. The forthcoming revisions to Approved Document B of the Building Regulations will provide a framework in which alternative approaches to achieving fire safe buildings might be considered. There are many freedoms and flexibilities which may be realised with the inclusion of active fire suppression systems. Sprinklers have sometimes been seen as a desirable but expensive option for school buildings. If we can engage with designers and builders at an early stage of the project we can keep the costs down to as low as 1% of build costs, not the 5% which is occasionally quoted. A recent experience in Blackpool with a new build exemplar design school bears this out. In terms of the true costs, because of the freedoms that can be considered, I believe we can build and operate schools more cost effectively with sprinklers than without. I also believe that the finished schools will be better suited to their purpose, more user friendly, more easily managed and inherently safer for our children. To achieve these aims I am hoping that with the launch of this document we can develop a fresh approach to the issues, promote discussion and contribute effectively to the aims of the Building Schools for the Future programme. President Chief Fire Officers Association

3 CONTENTS CONTENTS Foreword Introduction Costs and consequences of fires in schools Understanding the risk Fire loading and severity Occupant responses Effects of fire Methods of fire control Compartmentation Intervention by occupants Intervention by fire services Suppression system activation Chosen fire suppression principle Flexibility in design Compartmentation requirements Travel distances Periods of fire resistance Standards and numbers of doors Automatic hold open devices Flexibility in layout Phased evacuations Disabled evacuation Surface finishes Emergency lighting Stair sizing Fire service access Example of sprinkler provision in new build school New build benefits Retro-fit Installations Business continuity Alternative risk reduction packages Conclusion

4 Guidance on the provision of sprinklers in schools Introduction This document has been written in order to assist those parties involved in fire safety, loss control and automatic sprinkler provision in Educational premises. This building category is suffering increasing fire losses, costing over 100million during It is expected that 2004 will see similar costs, and the effects upon our communities and the education of our young people is far greater than simply the re-building costs. Fig.1. Damping down school desks - hours after use It is hoped that this document will introduce some clarity to the scope of sprinkler provision in schools. It is not intended to focus all parties to introduce sprinkler provision to all schools, but to allow a balanced, informed and realistic approach to be adopted, in the consideration of sprinkler provision. The CFOA would wish to acknowledge the work of the National Fire Sprinkler Network (NFSN) in the production of this document. 1

5 Fig.2. Result of Primary School fire Costs and consequences of fires in schools Each year more than 1300 schools in England and Wales suffer fires large enough to be attended by local authority fire and rescue services. As mentioned above the cost of these amounts to millions in respect of replacing buildings but added to this are the consequential losses, examples of which are listed below: The need for temporary teaching accommodation, transport issues, disruption etc. The long term effect on pupils from studying in temporary teaching accommodation. The loss forever of pupil course work, exam work, and essential statistics. The increased stress caused to staff from re-creating teaching aids and working in temporary teaching accommodation. Loss to the community of an asset used for adult education, pre and after school clubs, social gatherings and recreational amenities etc. Understanding the risk Many schools must unfortunately now be considered as medium to high risk premises in terms of both fire safety and loss control, as we experience the ever increasing consequences of school fires. Additionally, many newly constructed buildings, whilst complying with the relevant legislation, are not robust enough in terms of design, nor the completed construction, to resist the effects of fire, particularly arson. 2

6 Much greater consideration therefore needs to be given to fire, both in terms of life safety and property protection, with the suggestion that fire engineered solutions should be sought to effect the most resilient design solutions. Fire loading and severity Consideration should be given to the likely fire loading in the school/s, with reference to the following: Fires in assembly areas Fires affecting escape systems Fires in refuse areas Fires in cloakroom areas Fires involving high-hazard materials Also, the severity of common types of fires in schools: Cloaks areas: Fast/Ultra-fast Furnishings: Fast/Ultra-fast Refuse Areas: Ultra-fast Displays: Fast Desk/furniture: Medium In order to make a realistic judgement, we should try to establish a comprehensive set of possible fire scenarios for the particular building/s. Having outlined these, consider their probability of occurrence utilising any available data or using engineering judgements. This can then lead us to look at the relative risk of the fire scenarios and indeed the ranking of those relative risks. Occupant responses Whilst considering fire loading, potential severity and risk, an awareness of the likely occupant responses and potential occupant intervention should be established. It is recommended that each premise is considered independently in this regard and extreme caution should be exercised when considering any potential for future change, i.e. the building should not place great reliance upon occupant intervention as part of the fire strategy. Buildings should be as fool-proof, or fail-safe from fire as practicable and as identified as part of any risk assessments during the design process. With such a high proportion of malicious fire setting taking place within educational premises, the potential risk to the end user, in terms of life safety, property protection and asset protection is substantially increased and the degree of investment required for such installations is certainly warranted. 3

7 Effects of fire A basic understanding on the effects of fire in a building environment should be sought to establish a clear picture of the problem in this type of building. Consider the following: Nature/quantity of combustibles Arrangement of fuel Ignitability Likely rate of heat release Potential for fire growth Smoke spread Ventilation Exposed surface area Methods of fire control Fire within a school building can unfortunately be a relatively difficult phenomenon to control effectively, both as a result of its natural behaviour, coupled with the reality of building use, wear and tear, every day occurrences, and realistically human behaviour and sometimes error. Compartmentation Effective compartmentation, i.e. sub-division of a building into smaller parts with fire-resisting construction allows for reduced fire and smoke spread though relies upon careful management, i.e. ensuring fire doors are maintained to operate correctly at all times, and ensuring cavity barriers in roof/ceiling voids are complete and not breached by services etc. Strategies that rely principally on compartmentation rely heavily on management control and diligence. Intervention by occupants Whilst there is a requirement to provide first aid fire fighting equipment within most non-domestic buildings, again great reliance is placed upon the actions of the occupants and effective training on the safe methods of operation of such equipment. Realistically, and understandably it is the common policy to concentrate on the effective evacuation of all occupants, pupils, staff and visitors, with the acceptance that the building will be left to burn. In a relatively small number of cases occupant intervention prevents fire growth, spread and subsequent damage. 4

8 Fig.3. Firefighters rise to the challenge yet again Intervention by fire services It is normally assumed that should the fire service attend and intervene during the development of a fire, then it can be controlled, but only if suitable appliances, both in number and type are in attendance. Dependant on the construction of the building, the fire service are unlikely to enter a number of school premises, due largely to the quality and type of construction, i.e s system build construction. Fire Service intervention should not be considered within the school fire strategy, particularly with regard to life safety. Suppression system activation Automatic suppression systems are normally expected to operate in the pre-flashover stage of fire (see fig.4). The heat release rate from a fire will, at worst remain constant with the fire being suppressed and controlled or limited in its fire growth, or ultimately extinguished. Obviously these assumptions are based on the correctly specified and designed fire suppression system. 5

9 Incipient Growth Fully Developed Decay He a t Output Ventilation Controlled Decay Flashover Sprinkler Activation Sprinkler Controlled Fire Time > Fig.4 Fire Development and Sprinkler Controlled Fire Graph Chosen fire suppression principle Extreme care must be taken in the design process of any fire suppression system with specialist design input being required throughout various building design stages Consideration should be given to the following: What practical constraints limit the choice? What are the objectives for the area being protected? What are the probable fire characteristics of the area to be protected? What impact will the environment have on the suppression system? Is there a likely conflict with any processes within the school? What will be the impact of a false discharge? What follow up procedures will be in place? At what stage of the fire will the discharge be initiated? 6

10 Flexibility in design In order to meet acceptable standards of fire safety in terms in school premises it is normal practice to achieve compliance with the relatively standard requirements of the Building Regulations, associated Approved Documents and the allied British Standards. This is obviously only one way of achieving compliance with fire safety legislation at design and construct stage and separate legislation currently applying to a premise once occupied. More and more innovative teaching methods require a fresh look at teaching environments, and there is a move away from the traditional box-shaped classroom off corridor approach. Sprinklers offer the potential for a way round the standard layout. The provision of sprinkler installations within educational establishments offers the potential for significant improvements in both life safety and property loss. This issue is of increasing interest in a building category that generally has high occupant levels and generally have the highest incidence of malicious damage and fire setting. The suggestions below are aspects which may be jointly considered and negotiated between the designers and the enforcing authority. Compartmentation requirements The current requirements for compartmentation within school premises is 800m 2 which effectively limits potential fire spread if it is maintained at all times and managed effectively. Fire doors being poorly maintained, damaged or wedged open can easily make the compartmentation virtually ineffective. Fire stopping in roof and ceiling voids is also an essential element in the successful compartmentation of school buildings. This is effectively an ongoing problem for schools to manage with fire stopping often damaged when new services, i.e. data cabling etc. are introduced or more conventional maintenance works are carried out. The provision of sprinklers within a school building is likely to introduce much greater flexibility in being able to utilise the natural separation that the working school layout offers, without the need for additional separation. Travel distances With a non-sprinkler protected school the recommended travel distances in accordance with the guidance of the Building Regulations and Approved Document B, are: 18m (single direction) and 45m (two direction). This will potentially be reduced in new guidance for schools to 12m in a single direction. These are recommended maximum distances to afford the safe evacuation of occupants, without being put at undue risk from a developing fire within the building envelope. Obviously the provision of a correctly specified, designed and installed sprinkler installation will significantly reduce down the risk of a developing fire and therefore pose a much lesser risk to the occupants, allowing the potential for greater allowable evacuation times. It therefore follows that there is scope to introduce increased flexibility in the travel distances achieved with new designs. Special care would be required in situations involving single direction escape scenarios and more importantly single stair situations. 7

11 Periods of fire resistance Since the provision of sprinklers within a school building is designed to and will effectively control or extinguish a fire it is considered that the period of fire resistance required to the elements of structure could be reduced in certain circumstances. This would effectively make a difference in the design of buildings other than single storey where there may be potential savings in the construction method and associated cost. This issue would obviously require full agreement between the enforcing bodies and the building insurers. Standards and numbers of doors It may be possible to negotiate the standard of doors within certain areas of the building/s, with reduced periods of fire resistance being a possible relaxation. Within existing premises it may be possible to retain existing doors that do not meet modern day standards. Automatic hold open devices There is likely to be greater flexibility in the potential for hold open devices to virtually any door within a building, though this would obviously be subject to suitable provision of automatic detection in key areas and the interface of the sprinkler installation with the alarm and detection installation. Flexibility in layout The limitations on internal layouts imposed by requirements under the Building Regulations may be relaxed within sprinklered buildings, with potential scope for more relaxed consideration of deadend scenarios and room within room configurations. Phased evacuations By significantly reducing down and ultimately eliminating significant fire spread within the building/part, there may be the potential to introduce phased evacuation or stay-put policies to part. This is of particular relevance in larger more complex buildings but would require extremely effective and robust fire safety management regimes. Disabled evacuation With new buildings being and existing buildings becoming increasingly accessible, the issue of evacuation of persons with disabilities is an essential and key requirement of a fire safety plan. The provision of refuge areas within buildings has in many cases been the solution though has in many cases caused extreme discomfort in the arrangement to leave persons within the building albeit for a short period until such times that the evacuation of particular individuals/groups can be effected safely. By introducing effective sub-compartmentation, often that utilises natural breaks within the building design (as opposed to breaks within the building being designed purely for the control of fire spread) it is possible to introduce easy refuge provision, to the extent that a stay put policy may be a consideration. 8

12 Surface finishes The requirements of the Building Regulations impose limitations on the types, classifications and quantities of specific surface finishes, i.e. wall and ceiling linings. As we are aware, in reality when a building becomes occupied the end user requirements can introduce greater risks by way of displays/finishes that may have poor fire behaviour. Such elements may be considered in a more favourable context with the provision of sprinkler protection. Obviously this can be a subjective with regard to specific displays and certain areas within a building but it is considered could be viewed sympathetically subject to sprinkler provision. Emergency lighting Under new draft guidance, BB100, emergency lighting is required for all new build schools, due to the increasing community and hence night-time use. Sprinkler installation may reduce emergency lighting requirements as the chances of a fire cutting off the normal electrical supply would be very remote. Stair sizing In the case of larger more complex buildings stair sizing for escape purposes could be reduced following detailed assessments of occupant numbers and escape times. Early negotiations with enforcing bodies in this regard should be sought. It is noted that this may only be feasible where any stairs exist purely for escape purposes, as routine flows of pupils through the building at peak times may dictate the larger stair widths. Fire service access Fire service access, both internally and externally may be looked on with some flexibility by the local fire authority in sprinklered premises and again early discussions should be instigated to explore the issue. 9

13 Example of sprinkler provision in new build school Below is an example of a new-build school, following a significant fire, which incorporates some of the examples listed above. Devonshire Primary School Blackpool an Exemplar Designed School consisting of Ground, First, & Second floors with Community Rooms and a Nursery on the Ground floor accommodating approximately 500 pupils achieved the following Design Freedoms from the Building Regulations 4 Special Educational Needs rooms which discharge directly onto the protected staircase at first and second floor. Stores and Reproduction rooms at first and second floor allowed in staircase enclosures. Community rooms and studio on ground floor are inner rooms that lead into a large multi-purpose area permitted as a design freedom If sprinklers had not been fitted a major redesign of the school would have been required. New-build benefits With such significant investment in school estates throughout the UK, it makes unquestionable sense to install sprinklers in new-build schools. Never during the life of a building will there be a better time to install such protection, other than perhaps the re-building of a new unsprinklered school following a serious fire! Installation costs, practicalities and potential for trade-offs are at their most beneficial at this point, with installation costs generally being around 2-3% of new build cost dependant upon design complexity and requirements. Using the same example mentioned above, Devonshire Primary School Blackpool sprinkler installation costs were 73,000 (July 2005) including above ground water tank. Total cost of school 7million equating to just 1% of total. In brief, new-build installations carry the following benefits: Most cost effective time to install Design flexibility opportunities Life safety benefits from outset Property protection Business continuity Maintain education provision Protect investment Community benefits Fire fighter safety Insurance benefits/reductions in premium Public Money well spent! 10

14 Retro-fit installations The concept of retro-fit sprinkler installations still has a great way to progress to offer an achievable option with most building uses. Whilst many school estates throughout the UK face the requirement for quite significant improvements in terms of fire precautions, most of these are relatively achievable given the correct planning etc. Sprinkler installations within an existing building can be an extremely challenging, disruptive, intrusive, lengthy and costly exercise. Coupled with associated other works, i.e. asbestos removal, reinstatement of finishes, alterations/impact on other services, structural implications - strengthening works, disruption etc. make it an extremely difficult option to consider. A realistic approach with respect to retro-fit installations is to consider their provision where major refurbishment works are being carried out, i.e. where a building is being taken back to shell status, significant strip-out, major extension and refurbishment of existing and other major capital investment schemes where the fabric of the building is likely to be subject of replacement. Where existing ceilings, wall finishes etc are to be retained, the issue does require even greater consideration due to the potential increased difficulties and costs associated with the installations. Benefits of sprinkler installations on a retro-fit basis (in addition to those identified for new-build installations above) can be summarised as follows: Improvement of life safety in respect to fire Method of addressing outstanding shortfalls, i.e. poor means of escape provision Vulnerable premises High Risk areas Business continuity As we are all aware much emphasis is placed on business continuity in the commercial and financial world. In real terms therefore, what better genuine investment is there than in our young people in society? By investing in their potential, society will see the long term benefits throughout the lifetime of these individuals. Is this not good business sense? A serious school fire is a devastating event from which individuals and communities will suffer enormous consequences. If it were a case of protecting assets, money, or other valuables would it perhaps be considered differently? What value do we really place upon some of our greatest assets? 11

15 Alternative risk reduction packages The issue of sprinklers obviously may not fit all requirements or in some cases be required. In the consideration of new build schools it is hard to justify not including within the design, however, with refurbishment schemes or indeed existing premises, consideration could be given to alternative risk reduction packages. Items that may form part of such packages include: Improvements in fire compartmentation (fire breaks etc.) Comprehensive automatic fire detection Improved security to building fabric Comprehensive monitored CCTV Secure fencing to building/site Localised fire suppression Increased internal security measures To utilise the passive fire precautions and security measures as a method of preventing fire and reducing its effects may in some circumstances be suitable, however that approach may lead to a restricted and institutional design which will rely heavily on on-going management control. Any consideration of risk will seek to quantify likelihood and consequence. Active fire protection is less reliant on physical barriers which may be compromised by vandalism or physical damage. The use of sprinklers allows for more freedom in design and the peace of mind that our children s safety is not reliant on passive measures. Conclusion The Building Schools for the Future programme is a remarkable project. It presents a genuine opportunity to reform education and educational buildings. Today s schools are at greater risk of fire than any other sector. They suffer more arson attacks than any other type of building and are more likely to suffer a major (> 250,000 loss). Together we have the opportunity to ensure that tomorrow s schools will not suffer the same fate. The message is clear: To designers and architects; consider sprinkler protection at an early stage as part of a holistic solution to fire safety, take advantage of the freedoms and flexibilities to create attractive inspiring spaces. To fire and building control officers; be prepared to consider innovative solutions. Seek out partnership with developers at the earliest stages of a project. To Local Education Partnerships; consider the benefits of reliable risk reduction measures which will not be disabled by vandalism and that will remove the risk of serious fires. To funding managers; if a better school can be built cost effectively with sprinkler protection don t remove incentives by seeking to transfer the cost of sprinklers to the operator. 12