Call for fire safety talks over classroom door plans

The FBU says mixed messages about fire safety and ventilation increased fire risks in schools and homes

Firefighters have called for the Scottish government to resolve concerns over school safety following reports that classroom doors could be trimmed.

The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has requested immediate talks to address "mixed messaging" around fire safety and the ventilation required to reduce coronavirus risks.

Councils have a new fund to improve classroom airflow to slow Covid spread.

Nicola Sturgeon said cutting the bottom off some doors was "common sense".

The first minister said councils would have the option to act if doors were "inhibiting the natural flow of air", and said health and safety would be considered in all decisions.

• 'Common sense' to cut classroom doors to curb Covid

• Ventilation to curb Covid in schools 'unacceptable'

• Scotland's new smoke alarms law comes into force - BBC News

Councils have been given £4.3m of funding to improve air flow in about 2,000 classrooms to slow the spread of Covid.

As well as installing filters and fans, £300,000 was earmarked to "undercut" doors to improve airflow.

But concerns have been raised about the impact such a move could have on fire safety.

'Clarity needed'

The FBU said the Scottish government needed to "convene immediate multi-agency talks to try to find a solution to fire safety concerns in schools and the home".

The union also wants clarity over legislation on interlinked fire alarms in the home, which came into law in Scotland on 1 February.

Scotland regional secretary Ian Sim said: "At the moment there is too much uncertainty and mixed messaging over these two very important fire safety issues, in particular, the potential fire risk that comes from undercutting doors.

"The doors affected could potentially include fire doors.

"We need clarity and certainty over these plans and the Scottish government must now convene immediate multi-agency talks to establish the safest way forward."

"The safety of school students and staff, our members and the general public is paramount," he added.

A Scottish government spokesman said: "Our guidance already makes clear that when implementing any Covid safety measures, local authorities must continue to adhere to legal obligations with regard to health and safety, which include having fire and safety discussions with relevant authorities."

He added that interlinked fire alarms now required in homes would "save more lives".

'Persistently high CO2'

Ventilation has become a key measure in efforts to reduce the spread of Covid-19, particularly in enclosed spaces like classrooms.

There have been concerns that schools are still relying on open windows rather than air filtration units, despite cold weather.

Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville has said the action taken to improve air flow in each school would vary, being "informed by local circumstances and expert assessment by local authority teams".

Nicola Sturgeon told Holyrood natural flow of air in a room should be maximised

At First Minister's Questions in Holyrood on Thursday, Scottish Conservatives leader Douglas Ross told Nicola Sturgeon that the prospect of cutting classroom doors had been met with derision.

The first minister told him the government was not asking every school to chop the bottom off all doors.

However, the option to do so was being provided for by government funding, subject to the health and safely checks required for all changes in school buildings.

She said: "When you're trying to improve ventilation in a room, that can partly be about air filtration, partly that is about mechanical ventilation systems, and partly it's about taking measures to ensure that the natural flow of air in a room is maximised.

"If you have doors or windows that are not enabling that natural flow of air in the way you would want it to, it strikes me as basic common sense that you would take measures to rectify that."