search.noResults

search.searching

dataCollection.invalidEmail
note.createNoteMessage

search.noResults

search.searching

orderForm.title

orderForm.productCode
orderForm.description
orderForm.quantity
orderForm.itemPrice
orderForm.price
orderForm.totalPrice
orderForm.deliveryDetails.billingAddress
orderForm.deliveryDetails.deliveryAddress
orderForm.noItems
VIEWSVIEWS & OPINIONOPINIO N


The case for sprinkler syste ms in schools


Comment by TILDENWAT at ZurichMunicipal


ATSON, Head of Education


In the UK there are still around a 1,000 fires in school premises every year with the larger fires costing on average over £3 million, and in some cases over £20 million. This figure shows that fire risk is still a real threat and whilst there were no fatalities from school fires in the eight years up to 2017/18, there were 244 casualties, according to official figures*. Figures also show that 673 schools have been built and


open in the UK since 2011 and just 15%were fitted with sprinkler systems**, even though the evidence from Chief Fire Officers Network suggests that sprinklers are 99%successful in putting out fires where they have been activated.


It’s not just the financial cost but the impact on education which largely goes unreported. It disrupts the lives of pupils and school staff, often forcing them to retreat to temporary classrooms for considerable periods of time whilst everything from examination papers, school records, student submissions, university applications as well as a lifetime of teaching notes and aids can be lost forever. Schools are not just attended by children, they are community used outside of school hours by a range of societies ns. The loss of these spaces can have significant l communities lacking accommodation for night l events whilst the school also loses the rental


classes and loca impacts on loca and organisatio hubs which are


income.


Preventative action and the mandatory installation of sprinklers, as well as the removal of combustible materials, could eliminate the impact of loss and disruption to the community, and significantly reduce the cost to the tax payer for repairs. That’s why Zurich has repeated our call for the Government to regulate and provide improved guid ance which clearly requires the mand atory


implementation of sprinklers in all new build and major refurbished schools.


A change in Government legislation to make sprinklers in schools mandatory could not only help protect children while they are in school, it often happens out of


school hours. Not only does this mini contains the fire to the room it starts


mise the level of in when it


damage caused, it also negates the aftermath which often leads to months or even years of disruption for children’s education while the school is repaired.


Zurich has recently published results of its school property surveys, which shows that two-thirds (67%) of English schools are rated as ‘poor’ for fire p rotection systems. In Scotland, wher e sprinkler systems are legally required in all new and major refurbished schools, almost three in 10 (29%) of Scottish schools are rated ‘excellent’ for fixed fire protection systems, in stark contrast to English schools where only one in 20 (5%) achieved the same rating, which shows a growing gap between the two countries.


With the Building Bulletin 100 consultation results due to be published shortly, we have probably a once in a generation opportunity to change the law to protect school communities from a devastating impact of fires. Let’s not wait for a real tragedy to happen before taking action and make sprinklers a legal requirement now for the long-term benefit.


* http //ass ts sys


fire ** http /


tps:///assets.publisish sy teystem/uploads/a/atta ta


ds


tables-fire0301-080819.xlslsx tps:///www.


w.parlrliaiament.


questions-answerswers-sta 03-12/2/231539/


Octobe r 201 9 2019


shing.service.gov tachment_data/fi sx


tatements s/wr v..uk/g ve k//governme nt/ data file/8/823436/fi


t.uk/b/businessess/pss//publications/written- ts/written-questiestion/Co


fire-statisistics-data- wr


t/uploads ta


tics data Commons/2/s/2019- ds/ s/ Population-wide


co mmitment to self care will achieve a sustainable healthy future


Comment by DR SELWY


of the Self Care Forumand the Royal Society for Public Health


WYN HODGE, previously Chair ty


During my long career in education, public health and youth work, I have written man y articles and opinion pieces about self care and health literacy. Having now retired from most of my previous roles, I wanted to reflect on some of the key issues that have influenced my deliberations.


My first reaction, sadly, is disappointment with the repeated failure of many committed professionals to ag


population-wide self care. Too many people


still view self care as just ree the scope of


ensuring that patients with long term illnesses follow instructions to manage their conditions. In other words, self care is viewed by many as being about treatment rather than prevention . This view is holding us back.


Despite efforts by many people working in this field, not only does self care remain unfamiliar to most people, it probably scores lower on the general population’s interest charts than their favourite television programme!


But people’s inability to self care means health services are becoming unmanageable. But what can we do?


People should be taught from their earliest years onwards how to look after themselves, whether it’s about preventing avoidable conditions, treating common illnesses or protecting mental wellbeing. Alongside self care, children should also understand how and when to access the NHS for various health advice or treatment.


I remember the time when most people did actually achieve this fairly well; but general levels of health literacy were much better then and health education was both family orientated and taught as part of the compulsory school curriculum.


Schools and parents once again must be key to better future well- being and appropriate use of healthcare resources.


My personal contribution to improving self care is working with young people in schools to help them develop self care strategies for themselves, and to be able to promote these with their peers. In addition, I help train them to act as youth health champions, a concept introduced 20 years ago in health authorities, but which i s now largely in abeyance .


For it to be successful, health promotion has got to be seen and enacted upon as a community led and delivered entity utilising all the resources Government can offer.


Exemplary community led approaches have been initiated across the country as part of Self CareWeek. Having judged many entries for the Self Care Forum’s competition for the best Self CareWeek programme, I can testify to the enormous amount of innovative work taking place (indeed over 600 organisations took part last year) to support people to better self care.


I hope this year’s Self CareWeek (18th – 24th November), which has the strapline “think self care for life”, will generate enough suppor t from all national and regional health directors to begin t o make this vision a reality.


If it doesn’t, I can only conclude that we can all expect to look forward to increasingly unhealthy futures.


Formore info selfc


www. fcare@selfcareforum.org


formation about Self CareWeek email fc


wwweducation-toda y.co.uk.co.uk 32


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48