Greene Urges School Fire Safety Audit as Consultation Launches

Proposals to update safety requirements in Scotland’s schools must include a full audit of fire safety, Scottish Liberal Democrat MSP Jamie Greene has said.

The Scottish Government has today launched a consultation on updating the School Premises (General Requirements and Standards) (Scotland) Regulations 1967.

However, the consultation does not include a full assessment of fire safety, a key element in keeping pupils and staff safe.

Mr Greene wrote recently to the Cabinet Secretary for Education, urging her to conduct a full audit, after a report found a “substantial risk to life” from fire in a school in East Dunbartonshire.

A fire safety report at Lenzie Academy made 25 recommendations and highlighted issues including unsuitable fire doors, poorly protected escape routes, cookers without doors, and flammable materials stored incorrectly.

Staff at the school are currently being balloted on strike action over fire safety issues, with an indicative ballot showing 95 percent of EIS members in favour of industrial action.

Scottish Liberal Democrat MSP for the West of Scotland, Jamie Greene, said:

"All pupils, staff, and parents in Scotland should know that their school buildings are safe and are kept to the highest possible standards.

"While it is good to see the Scottish Government respond to my calls for a consultation on the school estate, it is disappointing that it hasn’t gone far enough in terms of a full root and branch review of fire safety.

“The proposals should be revised to include the full fire safety audit of all Scottish schools that I have repeatedly urged ministers to conduct.

"Recent reports showed that a school in my region had several issues with its fire safety, a full Scotland-wide audit would allow us to understand the severity of the problem across the country, why would the government not want to know this information one has to ask?”