Smoke Ventilation and Fire Safety in Schools

In just two weeks, more than 50 schools were either broken into or set alight, according to an article published in the Sowetan Live in April 2020. A group of Glenvista High School students allegedly burned down a school hall because they did not want to take a scheduled exam, according to a news article published in the IOL on August 17, 2021. This raises the question of how safe are our schools in the event of a fire?

Fire safety is always a priority but maybe even more so in educational buildings. These usually highlight the type of buildings where more vulnerable members of society gather. Safety regulations and building design should be considered as vital for structures where children are the main occupants.

A fire breaking out at a school can be a very traumatic experience for the whole school community. Having the school buildings designed with smoke ventilation and fire safety can reduce the risks that these emergency situations go with.

All aspects being taken in consideration, such as building design, smoke detectors, smoke vents, fire alarm system, emergency exits, sprinklers and call points.

No structure is emergency-proof even though, considering the youth, we might wish that we could prevent all fire emergencies completely. But this is why schools need to undergo risk-assessment and measures should be taken to reduce any risks as much as possible.

Regularly checked and approved fire extinguishers should be placed at various high-risk points throughout the school. Smoke detection system should be installed to alarm and indicate the emergency. Any fire alarms must be audible throughout all parts of the School. And smoke ventilation systems are absolutely vital in these kinds of situations for the survival of the occupants and the building’s integrity during emergency evacuation. The emergency evacuation procedures should be displayed in all offices and classrooms through the school. And where it is do-able, the local fire chief should assess and review all of the fire evacuation procedures each year.

It needs to be made sure that all school learners and employees are acutely aware of the procedures during the case of a fire emergency. This can be ensured through practiced fire drills and allowing the staff members be trained on how to use fire extinguishers.

When it comes to fire safety and smoke ventilation in schools, a few extra points should be considered before installing a vent system and when looking at the design of a building; younger children naturally breathe more rapidly than adults, and in stressful situations they’ll be more prone to panic. This is also a problem considering the intake of hot smoke and burning chemicals. As it is known, smoke inhalation is the most common cause of death and not so much the fire itself. The average children’s height is also somewhat shorter than the average adult, therefore they are affected a bit differently by the consciously rising smoke of the fire. These points all effect the amount of time they have to evacuate the building safely.

The ventilation system installed for smoke and fire control (usually a combination of natural and mechanical venting systems) has to accommodate these unique situational needs. Being able to properly vent the affected area from smoke and clear escape routes for safe evacuation. These discussed issues above shows that fire safety and smoke ventilation needs to be thought through quite properly by professionals in the field when it comes to educational structures.

SFE Services takes pride in providing free fire risk assessments to schools. Verify to see if your school can safely evacuate your children in the event of a fire.

Smoke Fire Extraction Services contact number: 011 730 8243

These are just a few of the South African schools that have caught fire in the last two years: