Seven schools in East Lancashire found to breach fire safety regulations

Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service has revealed that a total of seven schools in East Lancashire have failed recent fire safety inspections, due to problems with fire alarms and fire exits.

After inspecting more than 100 properties last year, the fire service flagged up seven schools – including a number of primary schools – in areas of East Lancashire which had problems with their fire safety measures. The schools were mainly found in Clitheroe, Blackburn, Nelson and Barrowford.

The main breaches of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, as uncovered by officers from Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, included inadequate fire alarms, firefighting equipment, fire escape exits and routes and fire doors. All of these things must be in place, and a full fire risk assessment carried out, before each school meets current fire safety legislation.

Although these problems were admittedly minor, enforcement orders for the schools to make the necessary improvements have now been issued. Even the smallest things can save lives and protect property, such as the right fire awareness training or new batteries in a smoke alarm.

Richard Stott, the Group Manager for the fire service, commented on the results of the inspection, providing reassurance that:

“If a school was deemed to have put its pupils and staff at a more serious risk, then action would have been taken to reduce the risk to a tolerable level.”