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Jim Knight, the Minister of State for Schools, announced on 26 February 2007 in the House of Commons that it would now be policy for sprinklers to be fitted in all new and refurbished schools.
New schools, or those which undergo a major refurbishment using public money, will have to complete an analysis using a risk assessment tool to determine whether they should be fitted with a sprinkler system.
There are 1,500 reports of fires in un-sprinklered schools each year.
More school fires are being deliberately set during the day-time, which potentially increases the risk of people being injured. This is particularly the case where the fire starts in unoccupied areas and is allowed to develop before it is seen. Some types of school construction can allow the fire to travel through voids and break out at points some distance from the original fire.
If a fire occurs, the cost will typically be £100,000. The frequency of a fire in a school is one in every 10 years
In 2002 there were 46 injuries caused by fires in schools, of which 19 were precautionary checks.
A school fire will not only cause damage to the building structure, including specialist facilities such as a science laboratory or drama facilities, but may also destroy resources and irreplaceable student work.
It may also disrupt exams and affect results in the period following the fire.
Staff time will be taken up with finding new accommodation, which may require planning permission, and resources. Temporary facilities are often not suitable or incur additional costs
Any temporary facility may be more vulnerable to arson, which is of particular concern if the initial fire was due to this and the offender is still at large.
Schools are increasingly being used by other community groups who may not be as familiar with layout or be present at odd hours. Their welfare needs to be ensured and managed.
Schools are also getting bigger, and arsonists are getting more daring.
Parents and the wider community also suffer from effects directly and indirectly.
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