Quick answers
What are the common fire risks in schools and tuition classes?
Faulty electrical systems such as old wiring and overloaded circuits, school kitchens and LPG, poorly maintained heaters, paper and chemicals stored near heat sources, and deliberate arson.
How often should schools hold fire drills?
Hold evacuation drills regularly, at least once a term, and at different times of day, so that students and staff know the procedure. Drills should include children, staff, visitors and anyone who needs help to evacuate.
How can a small tuition class be made fire safe?
Choose premises with two ways out, keep the staircase clear and unlocked, store paper and cleaning products safely, avoid flammable partitions and decorations, keep suitable fire equipment accessible, and train tutors to spot hazards and lead students out.
Who is responsible for fire safety in a school?
School management should appoint a fire safety committee or coordinator to plan audits and drills, with members from management, staff, students, parents and the local fire service. Teachers, students and parents also share responsibility.
On 24 May 2019, a fire broke out at Takshashila Arcade in Surat, where coaching classes were running. It started near the staircase, so the students upstairs could not get down. Some jumped from the building. By the next day at least 20 students had died, all of them under 20 years old. Every school principal, tuition teacher and parent in India should remember that day.
Schools and coaching classes are full of children who depend on adults to keep them safe. Fire safety there means two things: stopping fires from starting, and making sure every child can get out quickly if one does.
Common fire risks in schools and tuition classes
- Electrical faults. Old wiring, overloaded sockets, extension boards running projectors, computers, coolers and heaters, and loose connections in the main panel.
- Kitchens. Mid-day meal kitchens and canteens with LPG cylinders, open flames and grease.
- Labs. Chemistry labs with flammable chemicals and gas burners.
- Paper and decorations. Stacks of notebooks, cartons and charts, and paper and thermocol decorations for annual day and festivals, near lights and heaters.
- Heaters in colder states, left on near curtains or in closed rooms.
- Arson and mischief. Fires set deliberately, which good supervision and security can prevent.
Tuition and coaching classes have their own risks. Many run in commercial complexes, on rooftops or in converted flats, with one narrow staircase, temporary partitions, many students packed into one room and no fire alarm.
Prevention
- Get the electrical installation checked by a licensed electrician, and replace damaged wiring and overloaded boards.
- Keep the kitchen and LPG cylinders away from classrooms and escape routes, and never leave cooking unattended.
- Store chemicals, paper and cleaning products safely, away from heat.
- Use flame-resistant decorations and keep them away from lights and heaters.
- Switch off heaters, coolers and projectors at the end of the day.
Being ready to get out
- Two ways out. Every floor should have two separate ways out, kept unlocked during school hours and free of furniture and stock. A building with one staircase is a serious risk.
- Alarm and equipment. A fire alarm that can be heard in every classroom, washroom, lab and playground; extinguishers that are serviced and suitable for the risks on each floor; and sprinklers and hydrants where your building’s rules require them.
- Drills. Hold evacuation drills regularly, at least once a term, at different times of day. Include visitors, and practise how staff will help children who use wheelchairs, cannot see or hear well, or need extra help.
- Head count. Keep class registers and the visitor book up to date, and check them at the assembly point so you know at once if anyone is missing.
- A safe assembly point, away from the building and from where fire engines need to park.
- A named team. Appoint a fire safety committee or coordinator, with members from management, staff, students and parents, to plan drills and inspections and to work with the local fire station.
The NDMA’s School Safety Policy guidelines and CBSE’s school safety requirements set out what schools should have in place, along with your state education department and local fire authority.
For tuition and coaching classes
- Before renting a space, check that it has two ways out, is not on an illegal floor or rooftop structure and has the fire approvals the building needs.
- Do not seat more students than the room can safely empty in an emergency.
- Avoid flammable partitions, thermocol, foam and loose wiring.
- Keep the staircase completely clear and never lock the exit while class is on.
- Train every tutor to raise the alarm, lead students out and call 101 or 112.
What children should do
Children should know three things: when the alarm rings or the teacher says so, leave at once in a line without running, pushing or picking up bags; stay low if there is smoke; and go straight to the assembly point and stay with the class. Children should never be asked to fight a fire.
Parents can help too. Next time you drop your child at school or tuition, look for the second staircase. If you cannot find it, ask the principal or the class owner where it is.
What needs attention
- Electrical faults, kitchens, labs, paper and decorations are the most common fire risks in schools
- Coaching classes in rooftop structures, converted flats or commercial complexes often have only one staircase and no alarm
- A single staircase can be cut off by fire or smoke, as happened at Takshashila Arcade in Surat in 2019
- Children depend on adults to raise the alarm, lead them out and count them
- Drills that never include children with disabilities leave those children without a plan
- Locked exits and staircases used for storage can turn a small fire into a disaster
Controls that reduce risk
- Appoint a fire safety committee or coordinator with members from management, staff, students and parents
- Have a licensed electrician check wiring, panels and sockets, and fix faults quickly
- Make sure every floor has two clear, unlocked ways out during school hours
- Test the fire alarm and get extinguishers serviced as required
- Keep kitchens, LPG and lab chemicals away from classrooms and escape routes
- Hold regular drills, including at different times and with children who need help
- Keep class registers and visitor records current for the head count
- Invite the local fire station to review the plan and watch a drill
- For coaching classes, check the building's exits and fire approvals before renting
Common unsafe practices
- Running classes in a space with only one way out
- Locking exits or grilles during school hours
- Storing furniture, cartons or bicycles on staircases and in corridors
- Overloading sockets with extension boards for computers, projectors and coolers
- Using thermocol, foam and paper decorations near lights and heaters
- Keeping the canteen or mid-day meal LPG close to classrooms or exits
- Holding drills only once a year, always at the same time, or not at all
- Not keeping registers up to date, so missing children are not noticed
- Asking children to fight a fire
Leave a comment