Welsh schools on arson alert

A fire which broke out in an infant school in Wales last week has led to teaching unions calling for tighter security in the country’s schools. Although in this case nothing has been proven just yet, there is no hiding the fact that arson has become a common problem in these education establishments, reinforcing the need for appropriate fire safety measures to be put in place.

It has also been noted that the summer months are more likely to bring added dangers to schools and so it is the responsibility of the community as a whole to remain vigilant. There has also been a call for the modernisation of schools in Wales and fire safety to be placed higher on the agenda.

Phillip Dixon, director of Association of Teachers and Lectures (ATL) Cymru, said:

“It requires everyone in the community to keep an eye out.

“Outside of school hours there are no teachers or staff in the school, so it is important that local people play their part.

“Wales has a number of older school buildings, many of which are Victorian. It is much easier to set this kind of building on fire than newer ones.

“In our opinion we need to modernise and improve the safety of these schools. We don’t think the Welsh Assembly Government has been nearly ambitious enough with its school building programme.

“Obviously with the economic situation it is unlikely to happen now, but they should have done more when the money was there.

“Whatever emerges from the ashes of this school, it must be top notch in terms of fire safety.”

This incident is just one of the 1,300 fires started in Britain’s schools every year, with 56 percent of these being classified as arson. Because of these statistics it is important that all education establishments consider arson reduction measures.

A Fire Safety in Educational Premises course has been designed for just this purpose and experienced trainers are able to provide fire safety training for your staff.