"The Government has behaved shamefully over this issue. It is high time the health and safety of children and staff is prioritised" NUT
Three trade unions - the Fire Brigades Union (FBU), National Union of Teachers (NUT) and the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) - have today written to Justine Greening, the Tory Government's Secretary of State for Education, seeking its position on the proposed decrease of fire safety requirements for schools which, they state, "show a total disregard for the health and safety of children and staff".
"As you will recall" the letter begins "it was announced via the DfE website, and widely reported in the press, in August 2016, that, following a consultation process, the decision had been made to remove the expectation that sprinklers be fitted in new schools...
"Following the August announcement, your department then denied that any decision had been made and that any change of policy was intended" they explain "The words in the revised Building Bulletin are, however, clear: 'The Building Regulations do not require the installation of fire sprinkler suppression systems in school buildings for life safety and therefore [guidelines] no longer include an expectation that most new school buildings will be fitted with them.'
"Of equal concern... was the fact that the revised Building Bulletin increased the size of un-sprinklered compartments in schools by 150% and removed sections from the original 2007 Bulletin, discouraging the use of combustible materials for building cladding" the unions add, ending the letter with a demand that "clarity is now urgently needed" in the wake of the Grenfell Tower tragedy.
"The Government has behaved shamefully over this issue" says Kevin Courtney, NUT General Secretary "It is high time the health and safety of children and staff is prioritised. We call upon the Government to make an immediate announcement that it will no longer proceed with down-grading fire safety in schools."
Matt Wrack, FBU General Secretary, adds "It is staggering we still have to have this debate with the Government in the current circumstances. It highlights the endless problems we have faced when raising fire safety issues over several years."
Meanwhile, Salford City Council, at the behest of the Government, and in line with all local authorities, has been identifying buildings in the city where cladding is made from Aluminium Composite Material, or ACM, and sending samples for fire safety testing.
"To allow for the identification of core materials we are putting in place Government-funded testing capacity that will allow a small sample of the cladding to be tested and its type identified" states a letter to local councils "From Tuesday 20th June onwards, where ACM panels have been identified, local authorities and registered providers of social housing should begin taking steps to establish that they are of limited combustibility, and to submit samples for testing."
Salford Council has promised to share its results with the Salford Star...
See also previous related Salford Star articles...
ACM Cladding Used in Pendleton Tower Blocks – click here
Recent Pendleton High Rise Fire Highlights Inadequacies – click here
Salford Tower Block Fire Risks Ignored By Salix Homes For Five Years – click here
Pendleton Together Promises Independent Review of Refurbishment Work – click here
Photo by Séamus Martin
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