Knowsley Council is investigating alleged problems with fire protection at eight PFI schools built by Balfour Beatty under the Building Schools for the Future programme.
According to a report in the Independent on Sunday, a kitchen fire at one school, Knowsley Park, led to a review of fire-proofing at all eight schools, which found problems at all of them.
In the fire, smoke spread into an adjoining stairwell. If the blaze had been more serious, the IoS says, the smoke could have affected children evacuating the building.
Knowsley Council has said that urgent work is now being carried out to rectify the fireproofing issues around the eight schools, including problems with mechanical dampers.
In a statement it said: “As a result of the issues at Knowsley Park, surveys were commissioned to cover all of the PFI school estate, which has found similar issues. A detailed programme of work has been agreed with Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service to resolve the issues and this is being expediently implemented.”
In August last year, as part of its divestment programme, Balfour Beatty sold Transform Schools, the PFI vehicle it set up to build the Knowsley schools, to investment firm Dalmore for £42m.
Knowsley council found problems at all eight of its PFI schools, including Halewood Academy (above)
A spokesman for Dalmore said: “Transform Schools (Knowsley) is aware of issues with the integrity of the passive fire safety provisions across the PFI estate having carried out surveys of all facilities. The company is now working with our supply chain to rectify all issues. All costs associated with the works will be borne by the private sector contractors. The Fire Authority and the council’s corporate health and safety team have confirmed that the schools are safe to occupy and remain open.”
In a statement, Balfour Beatty said: “Balfour Beatty is working with Transform Schools (Knowsley) to an agreed programme of works to rectify known issues with the fire safety provisions.”
Construction Manager has sought comment from both Knowsley Council and Balfour Beatty.
According to the IoS report, Knowsley Council had also been alerted to the possibility of problems at its schools after a Channel 4 news programme last year examined a variety of problems at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, also built by Balfour Beatty.
Read the Fire Door Inspection Service’s Neil Ashdown
The programme apparently uncovered a series of problems with fire dampers, alleging there were problems with maintenance, testing and access. It cited a report which contained “images of a damper sealed with tape, one propped open with a piece of metal, preventing it working in a fire, and others built into the wall so they couldn’t be accessed for testing.” Under health and safety law, fire dampers have to be tested every 12 months.
Channel 4 quotes a statement from Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS trust acknowledging that when the Queen Elizabeth opened in 2010, it was made aware that Balfour Beatty “needed to improve access arrangements for BBW [Balfour Beatty Workplace] staff to maintain fire dampers”.
It added: “A programme of works was provided, which commenced in 2010 and were completed in 2011. No payment for these works has been made by the Trust.”
The programme went on to allege that technical defects were a particular issue in PFI projects, due to the nature of the contractual relationship with clients.
Meanwhile, the BBC reported last week that Carlisle’s Cumberland Infirmary, built by Amec under the PFI and opened in 2000, is also experiencing problems major problems with fire-proofing and other issues with substandard workmanship at the project.
North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust said it had uncovered “major flaws" in elements of the hospital’s construction and had “deep concerns” over materials used in the £67m hospital.
Chief operating officer Helen Ray said that problems related specifically to fire proofing materials used, which she said did not meet required standards to allow for safe evacuation or prevent fire from spreading in the building. Further work would mean some patients being moved to temporary wards to be built in the hospital grounds.
PFI firm Health Management Carlisle Limited had declined to comment to the BBC on the trust’s claims.
And who said that PFI was the future?
We are being left with a legacy of buildings not fit for purpose and the full extent of the problem is not yet known. In hospitals where phased evacuation or ‘stay put’ strategies are employed for life safety, we are exposing vulnerable people to high risk. Should this not be classed as criminal negligence?
We need a return to greater ‘as built’ veracity, not rely on paper trail accountability which is cold comfort after the event.
Designing ‘on the hoof’ will never work well. Would this have happened in the days of having Clerk of Works representing the Client with appropriate levels of inspection by LABC I wonder?
PFI often gives a ‘double whammy’ for poor detail work in fire measures. The companies usually have a captive ‘approved inspector’ on their staff to rubber stamp any hair brained solution as passing Building Regs or equivalent. Secondly, they would not dream of using a 3rd party approved installer for critical fire stopping or dampers, as this would cut into their meaty profits.