Responsible Persons
The DFE document Health & Safety: Responsibilities
and Powers (DFES/0803/2001) clarifies responsibilities for schools
under existing health and safety legislation.
Health and safety
responsibilities in schools include fire safety. As explained in
the DFE document, with schools that are maintained by the Local
Authority (LA), the ultimate responsibility for fire safety lies
with the authority but duties can be delegated, eg, to the school's
governing body and the head teacher. This is the case in respect of
North Somerset Council.
The governing body
and the head teacher through the Fire Safety Manager, are
responsible for the day-to-day management of the school and its
fire safety procedures. The LA however retains the responsibility
to monitor the performance of the Fire Safety Manager to ensure
adequate standards of fire safety are maintained.
To ensure there is
no doubt as to where the responsibility for fire safety rests, and
to enable consistency of approach, it is important that a
designated Fire Safety Manager is appointed for each establishment
by the Governing Body. This should be a senior appointment
preferably at Head Teacher or Deputy-Head level. It may be possible
for Schools to appoint a professional to take on this role but that
will depend on the size of the premises, costs, etc.
Schools
are reminded to consider outstanding Fire Risk Assessment
Improvement actions when developing school buildings and should
include these actions in their Building Development
Plans.
Legislation
Fire Safety Management
Fire Safety Risk Assessment Guide - Educational
Premises
Public Entertainment and Other Licenses
Fires in Schools - the extent of the
problem
Reference Documents
