Civil Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
as any potential thief/arsonist will be either unaware of
the items to steal or unable to fuel a fi re due to the lack
of combustible materials.
Construction and maintenance operations on
schools often present a higher level of risk due to the
presence of children. There have been instances of
fi res being set to construction works on schools where
signage denoting the presence of fl ammable mater-ials,
as part of the arrangements for providing information
to staff and members of the emergency service, has
enabled the fi re setters to be provided with information
of fuel supplies. Signage should therefore be considered
in liaison with the police and fi re service.
was considerable torment facing many pupils who had
lost work as part of their studies, some of which was
ready to be examined by the examination board.
As an interim measure the burnt-out classrooms
were replaced by temporary accommodation units and
the school had a derelict building at its centre for over a
year, becoming a demolition site and then a building site,
before restoration works had been completed. These
circumstances were obviously not conducive to market-
ing the school, and pupil recruitment and the sixth form
suffered in particular. This had a massive effect on the
school budget resulting in a large defi cit, from which the
school has struggled to recover.
Clearly insuffi cient preventive and protective
measures were in place, which allowed the arsonist to
carry out the attack; the post-fi re arrangements included
a comprehensive arson and fi re risk assessment with an
action plan to prevent recurrence.
8.5
Case study
Recent arson attack at a school in North West
England - estimated loss £1.2 million
The fi re was discovered at 00.39 hours by the
school janitor. The largest school block, which housed
16 teaching rooms, the library, main offi ce, pastoral
offi ces, the head teacher and deputy's offi ces together
with the staff room, was almost completely destroyed.
The block also housed both the history and geography
departments which were also completely wiped out.
The modern languages, mathematics, English, special
educational needs and RE departments lost a large
proportion of their resources.
The devastation and trauma was summed up
by the head teacher: 'The fi rst reaction is shock and
numbness, followed by total disbelief and then realisa-
tion that 25 years of resources have gone; that all the
carefully collected photographs, booklets and artefacts
from all over Europe have gone; that all the paperwork
for the administration of public examinations has gone,
and all the school text books and personal belongings
have gone.'
The timing of the fi re was particularly unfortunate; as
Year 9 SATS were to be held later in the week and GCSE
examinations were due to begin within the next month.
The pressure placed upon heads of each subject was
enormous as they were required to contact examination
boards to discuss what arrangements could be made for
loss of coursework and pupils' revision material. There
8.6
Example NEBOSH questions for
Chapter 8
1.
Outline
FOUR common causes of fi re in the
workplace. (8)
2.
(a)
Explain
the dangers associated with liquefi ed
petroleum gas (LPG).
(4)
(b)
Describe
the precautions needed for the
storage, use and transportation of LPG in
cylinders on a construction site.
(4)
3.
Identify
the preventive measures which can be
applied to reduce the possibilities of arson
taking place.
(8)
4.
Outline
the measures that should be taken to
minimise the risk of fi re from electrical
equipment.
(8)
5.
A major hazard on a refurbishment project is fi re.
(a)
Identify
THREE activities that represent an
increased fi re risk in such a situation.
(3)
(b)
Outline
the precautions that may be taken
to prevent a fi re from occurring.
(5)
6.
List
the principles that should be considered
for the safe storage of fl ammable liquids in
containers.
(8)
