Building Bulletin 100

Published in 2007, Building Bulletin 100 is non-statutory guidance on fire safety for schools. The Department for Education is currently updating the guidance, particularly for special schools. It covers how a school building should be designed so that pupils and staff will have early warning if a fire breaks out and can evacuate the premises quickly and safely. The Bulletin advises how to minimise the spread of fire within a school and working with the Fire and Rescue services. Building Regulations’ Approved Document B which relates to fire safety advises “The design of fire safety in schools is covered by Building Bulletin 100, which should be used. Building Bulletin 100 contains fire safety provisions that are outside the scope of the Building Regulations.”

Direct Access has contributed to the forthcoming update to the Building Bulletin 100. While the inclusion of fire evacuation lifts is welcome so as not to rely on refuge spaces, there is concern that alternative means of escape such as evacuation chairs are not covered in the planned update. Any evacuation system will require an alternative such as if a lift develops a fault or the severity of the emergency is that both lifts and chairs must be utilised due to several people requiring support to evacuate.