Fire safety by sector / Guide
Fire safety for schools — a compliance overview
Schools combine high occupancy, vulnerable users and a mix of high-risk spaces — labs, kitchens, design tech workshops and boiler rooms. Building Bulletin 100 (BB100) is the design reference; the Fire Safety Order is the legal obligation.
What the law says
The Responsible Person — typically the head, governing body or trust — must hold a current written fire risk assessment, install detection in line with BS 5839-1 (usually L2 or L3 depending on size and design), maintain a logbook of weekly alarm tests, and run termly evacuation drills.
Recommended starter spec
- BS 5839-1 L2 or L3 fire alarm with six-monthly servicing scheduled in school holidays.
- Water or foam extinguishers in classrooms and corridors.
- CO2 in IT suites, science labs and electrical cupboards.
- Wet chemical (F-class) in canteens; powder in DT workshops handling flammable liquids.
- Fire blanket in every food tech and science lab.
- Emergency lighting tested monthly; full discharge test annually.
Common gaps we find on inspection
- Servicing scheduled in term time, disrupting lessons (and often deferred).
- Drama / sports hall obstructed escape routes during productions or exams.
- Science lab extinguisher rating insufficient for solvent stocks held.
- Logbook missing for the previous academic year.
- Hold-open devices on fire doors with no link to the alarm system.
This guide is for general information. A site-specific fire risk assessment by a competent person is required under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.