The governing body of St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School in Chalfont St Peter, Buckinghamshire, has been successfully prosecuted by Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes Fire Authority for breaching fire safety regulations. The school was fined a total of £8,000 – a £2,250 fine and also ordered to pay the prosecution costs of £5,750.

Several articles of the Regulatory Reform Fire Safety Order 2005 were breached, including failure to take general fire precautions, failure to appoint fire wardens plus a failure to adequately implement the findings of a fire risk assessment.

The District Judge at Wycombe Magistrates Court said the breaches reflected ‘serious failings by the school’ and stressed that no action had been taken by the governing body for a number of months in order to improve fire safety standards at the school.

Darren Baird, Managing Director of Total Fire Services Ltd, one of the UK’s most prominent fire safety consultancy services, commented, ” Under the requirements of the Regulatory Reform Fire Safety order (RRFSO) 2005, the responsible person for the premises must ensure that a fire safety risk assessment is completed regularly for the building and kept under review. The results of the assessment should be made available to all members of staff and other employees working in the building. Failure to do so will lead to prosecution and an appropriate fine.”

“It is also the responsibility of the Head Teacher and governing body of the premises to ensure that fire evacuation drills are carried out on a regular basis.”

Total Fire Services Ltd can provide a full fire safety consultancy service to meet your premises specific requirements and importantly to suit your available budget. This involves the conducting of a fire risk assessment of the premises and any associated mediation required with enforcing authorities such as the Fire Authority, HSE, OFSTED, Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) and Local Authority Building Control.

The aim of a fire risk assessment is not to merely comply with legislation. Total Fire Services’ systems have been designed to reduce the administrative burdens associated with legislation and can deliver substantial return in the form of hazard identification and risk reduction .