Ensuring fire safety in preschool educational institutions: organizing fire safety measures for kindergartens

There are about 58,000 different preschool institutions (hereinafter referred to as preschool educational institutions) in the Russian Federation. All of them relate to facilities with large numbers of people. Click to go to FireWiki, which imposes special responsibilities on their managers to ensure fire safety. The problem of ensuring fire safety in kindergartens is that in a number of settlements (especially in rural areas) many preschool institutions have a lot of wear and tear on their fixed assets (buildings, structures, equipment and household communications). It is clear that this situation was a consequence of insufficient funding, including for the implementation of fire prevention measures.

However, we often see a weakening of control on the part of responsible managers for ensuring fire safety Click to go to FireWiki in the preschool educational institution over their subordinate facilities. Although the current legislation directly indicates that their managers bear full responsibility for ensuring fire safety of facilities Click to go to FireWiki. Therefore, one of the main tasks of the head of a preschool educational institution is to create an effective fire safety system at the facility that can prevent the occurrence of a fire.

The fire safety system for children in an educational institution is a set of legal, economic, organizational, social, scientific and technical measures aimed at preventing the occurrence of fire Click to go to FireWiki or reducing the consequences of it.

The organization and operation of this system is regulated by regulatory legal acts, which reflect the entire range of issues related to ensuring fire safety of preschool educational institutions, namely:

• Federal Law of December 21, 1994 No. 69-F3 “On Fire Safety”;
• Federal Law of July 22, 2008 No. 123-F3 “Technical Regulations on Fire Safety Requirements”;
• Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation dated September 16, 2020 No. 1479 “On approval of the Fire Safety Rules.”

Rulebooks:

1. SP 1.13130.2020 “Fire protection systems. Evacuation routes and exits";
2. SP 2.13130.2020 “Fire protection systems. Ensuring the fire resistance of protected objects";
3. SP 3.13130.2009 “Fire protection systems. Warning and management system for evacuation of people in case of fire. Fire safety requirements";
4. SP 4.13130.2013 “Fire protection systems. Limiting the spread of fire at protection facilities. Requirements for space-planning and design solutions";
5. SP 484.1311500.2020 “Fire protection systems. Fire alarm systems and automation of fire protection systems. Design norms and rules";
6. SP 485.1311500.2020 “Fire protection systems. Automatic fire extinguishing installations. Design norms and rules";
7. SP 486.1311500.2020 “Fire protection systems. List of buildings, structures, premises and equipment subject to protection by automatic fire extinguishing installations and fire alarm systems. Fire safety requirements";
8. SP 6.13130.2013 “Fire protection systems. Electrical equipment. Fire safety requirements";
9. SP 7.13130.2013 “Heating, ventilation and air conditioning. Fire safety requirements";
10. SP 8.13130.2020 “Fire protection systems. Sources of external fire-fighting water supply. Fire safety requirements";
11. SP 9.13130.2009 “Fire fighting equipment. Fire extinguishers. Requirements for operation";
12. SP 10.13130.2020 “Fire protection systems. Internal fire water supply. Fire safety requirements";
13. SP 12.13130.2009 “Definition of categories of premises, buildings and outdoor installations based on explosion and fire hazards.”

All of them contain mandatory fire safety requirements in preschool educational institutions, which must be met for the safe functioning of the preschool institution. A reasonable question arises: how to analyze, remember and not forget such a huge amount of information. This is where fire safety measures, which are a set of included subsystems, will help us:

• organizational events;
• preventing the formation of a flammable environment;
• eliminating the occurrence of ignition sources;
• possibility of timely and safe evacuation Click to go to FireWiki Click to go to FireWiki;
• timely fire detection and reporting;
• fire resistance of building elements (structures);
• limiting the possibility of fire spreading;
• ensuring successful fire extinguishing Click to go to FireWiki.

The head of the preschool educational institution must work out each of these subsystems and constantly monitor compliance with the fire safety rules of the preschool educational institution during the operation of the facility. Let's analyze each subsystem.

Regulatory legal acts regulating fire safety requirements in preschool educational institutions

Fire safety requirements in preschool educational institutions can be divided into two parts, which relate to organizational actions and to the design requirements for buildings, structures, etc. Let us highlight the main ones, which most widely regulate fire safety requirements for preschool educational institutions:

• Federal Law “Technical Regulations on Fire Safety Requirements” dated July 22, 2008 N 123-FZ;
• Federal Law “On Fire Safety” dated December 21, 1994 N 69-FZ;
• Fire regulations in the Russian Federation, approved by Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of September 16, 2020 No. 1479 (hereinafter referred to as the PPR);
• Order of the Ministry of Emergency Situations No. 806 “On determining the Procedure, types, terms of training for persons carrying out labor or official activities in organizations, according to fire safety training programs, requirements for the content of these programs and categories of persons undergoing training in additional professional programs in the field of fire safety” (Order No. 806 dated November 18, 2021);
• Order of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia dated 09/05/2021 No. 596 “On approval of standard additional professional programs in the field of fire safety” (comes into force from 03/01/2022);
• SP 1.13130.2020 Fire protection systems. Evacuation routes and exits;
• SP 4.13130.2013 Fire protection systems. Limiting the spread of fire at protection facilities. Requirements for space-planning and design solutions.

All these regulations, to one degree or another, establish fire safety requirements for preschool educational institutions. In the following, we will provide links to the requirements used in the text.

Conducting briefings, training, maintaining documentation

Newly hired persons must undergo induction training on fire safety measures, initial at the workplace, repeated once every six months, unscheduled in case of a long absence from the workplace or violation of fire safety rules (changes in legislation). Responsibility for conducting fire safety briefings is established by the head of the preschool educational institution from the list of trained persons in fire safety measures.

Based on clause 4, clause 6, clause 14, clause 18, clause 32, clause 36, clause 37, clause 39, clause 40, clause 41 of the Fire Safety Standards “Training in fire safety measures for employees organizations" (order of the Ministry of Emergency Situations dated December 12, 2007 N 645), it is necessary to develop administrative documents regulating the procedure for training employees in fire safety measures (the procedure and timing of fire safety briefings and passing the fire technical minimum (hereinafter referred to as PTM), including:

• the procedure for conducting fire safety training;
• identification of officials to be trained according to the fire technical minimum (FTM), both outside the workplace to ensure fire safety, and directly in the organization;
• conducting a PTM knowledge test;
• creation of a qualification commission to test the knowledge of fire safety requirements of managers, specialists and employees of the organization;
• availability of approved introductory and primary fire safety training programs.

The head of the preschool educational institution must determine by order (instruction) the responsible person who will carry out the work on fire safety, as well as the persons responsible for the fire safety situation at the preschool educational institution facilities (clause 4 of the PPR). As a rule, all responsible persons are subject to training under the fire-technical minimum program at a training center licensed to conduct this type of training.

The preschool educational institution has the right to create its own commission to organize training on the fire-technical minimum from among persons trained at the training center. To do this, you will need to issue an order on the timing of this training, develop a training program, upon completion of the training, accept tests from preschool employees and draw up a statement with the results of the accepted test. As a rule, certification at a training center must be completed once every three years, and tests must be taken from employees annually, as well as within a month after the employee is hired.

Development of fire safety instructions

After completing the training, responsible persons must develop instructions on fire safety measures:

• when evacuating people (study groups) in case of fire;
• according to the procedure for security personnel upon receiving fire signals through the automatic fire alarm system (clause 56 of the PPR);
• for administrative, household, warehouse and other premises.

Instructions on fire safety measures are developed on the basis of fire safety rules and regulations on fire safety, based on the specific fire hazard of buildings, structures, premises, technological processes, technological and production equipment (clause 2; 392 PPR).

Sample Instructions on the procedure to follow when receiving a fire signal

Instructions for fire safety measures in accordance with clause 394 of the PPR must contain information about the persons responsible for ensuring fire safety, including for:

1. reporting a fire to the fire department and notifying (informing) the management, duty and emergency services of the protection facility;
2. organizing the rescue of people using available forces and technical means;
3. checking the activation of automatic fire protection systems (fire warning systems, fire extinguishing systems, smoke protection systems);
4. turning off electricity if necessary (except for fire protection systems), stopping the operation of transporting devices, units, devices using open flames, as well as heat-generating units, devices and devices using flammable coolants and (or) with a temperature on their outer surface that can exceed (including in case of malfunction of the heat-generating apparatus) 90 degrees Celsius;
5. blocking raw materials, gas, steam and water communications, stopping the operation of ventilation systems in emergency rooms and adjacent rooms, as well as taking other measures to help prevent the development of fire and smoke in the premises of a building or structure;
6. cessation of all work in a building or structure (if this is permissible according to the production process), except for work related to fire extinguishing measures;
7. removal of all workers not involved in fire extinguishing outside the danger zone;
8. implementation of general management of fire extinguishing (taking into account the specific features of the protected object) until the arrival of the fire department;
9. ensuring compliance with safety requirements by workers taking part in fire extinguishing;
10. organizing, simultaneously with fire extinguishing, evacuation and protection of material assets;
11. meeting fire departments and providing assistance in choosing the shortest route to the fire;
12. notification to fire departments involved in extinguishing fires and carrying out related priority rescue operations, information necessary to ensure the safety of personnel about hazardous (explosive), explosive, and highly toxic substances being processed or stored at the protection facility;
13. upon arrival of the fire department, informing the fire extinguishing manager about the design and technological features of the protection facility, adjacent buildings and structures, the quantity and fire hazard properties of substances, materials, products stored and used at the protection facility, and providing other information necessary for the successful extinguishing of the fire;
14. organizing the involvement of forces and means of the protected object in the implementation of measures related to extinguishing the fire and preventing its development.

Also, instructions on fire safety measures must have a logical and precise procedure for actions in the event of a fire, when evacuating people, and have up-to-date telephone numbers for emergency services and the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations. The main thing to remember here is that in the event of a fire, an extra minute of hesitation in actions is fraught with the likelihood of an increase in casualties of persons and property.

Limiting the possibility of fire spreading

If a fire occurs, combustion products can enter adjacent rooms and other floors of the building through technological openings, which will greatly complicate evacuation. Therefore, the head of the preschool educational institution must organize work on sealing with non-combustible materials Click to go to FireWiki, providing the required fire resistance limit Click to go to FireWiki and smoke and gas tightness, formed holes and gaps at the intersection of fire barriers Click to go to FireWiki with various engineering (including electrical wires) , cables) and technological communications.

List of fire safety documents for preschool educational institutions

Here is a complete list of all fire safety documents that should be in every kindergarten and other preschool educational institutions.

Fire safety order

1. About the fire mode
2. On the appointment of a person responsible for fire safety
3. On the implementation of local regulations on fire safety in an institution
4. On the appointment of a person responsible for primary fire extinguishing means in an institution
5. On the appointment of persons responsible for fire safety in the territories of the institution
6. On the appointment of a person responsible for fire safety during festive events
7. On conducting training on evacuation from an institution in case of emergency
8. On the creation of a voluntary fire brigade in an institution
9. On the appointment of a person responsible for fire safety during New Year's holiday events
10. On the training of employees of the institution in fire-technical minimum
11. On the creation of a fire-technical commission of the institution
12. On the procedure for conducting fire safety briefings
13. Conducting unscheduled fire safety training
    

    Job responsibilities of responsible persons

14. Job responsibilities of the head of the preschool educational institution for fire safety
15. Job responsibilities of the person responsible for industrial safety
16. Job responsibilities of members of the Voluntary Fire Brigade
    

    Provisions

17. Regulations on the voluntary fire brigade
18. Regulations on the Fire Technical Commission Fire Safety Instructions
19. Instructions on fire safety measures in administrative premises
20. Instructions on fire safety measures in material warehouse premises
21. Instructions on fire safety measures in food warehouses
22. Instructions on fire safety measures in the kitchen of a preschool educational institution
23. Instructions on fire safety measures in the territories and premises of the institution
24. Instructions on fire safety measures when using electrical equipment
25. Instructions on fire safety measures during the festive event “New Year Tree”
26. Instructions on fire safety measures when carrying out temporary fire and other fire hazardous work
27. Instructions on fire safety measures when carrying out painting, construction and installation work
28. Instructions on fire safety measures for inspecting premises before closing them
29. Instructions on fire safety measures during festive events
30. Instructions on the procedure for personnel to ensure evacuation in the event of a fire
31. Instructions on the procedure for the actions of duty personnel upon receipt of signals about a fire and malfunction of installations (devices, systems) of fire protection of the protected object
32. Instructions on the procedure for joint actions of the administration and the fire department when extinguishing a fire
33. Instructions on the procedure for placing and using primary fire extinguishing equipment
    

    Briefings

34. Introductory fire safety briefing
35. Primary fire safety training in the workplace
36. Repeated, unscheduled and targeted fire safety briefings
    

    Magazines

37. Fire safety briefing log
38. Logbook of completed fire drills
39. Log of operation of fire protection systems
40. Journal of training sessions on PTM
41. Operation log of fire protection systems (testing and recharging of fire extinguishers)
42. Operation log of fire protection systems (technical condition of fire extinguishers)
    

    Education and training programs

43. Voluntary fire brigade training program
44. Fire safety training program for managers and those responsible for fire safety + tickets
45. Fire safety training program for employees of the institution + tickets

Carrying out organizational activities

The administrative document must determine those responsible for recording and maintaining primary fire extinguishing equipment and the locations of fire extinguishers. Keeping a log of primary fire extinguishing equipment is enshrined in clause 4.5.4 (Table D2) SP 9.13130.2009 “Code of Rules. Fire equipment. Fire extinguishers. Requirements for operation."

The automatic fire alarm and warning system installed in the preschool premises must undergo monthly maintenance by a specialized organization. And according to clause 54 of the PPR, information about the work carried out with fire safety and fire extinguishing means is entered into the operation log of fire protection systems.

There should be a fire safety stand in publicly accessible places, on which instructions (leaflets) on fire safety, orders about responsible persons, and visual information about the possible consequences of a fire are posted.

The head of the preschool educational institution must develop evacuation plans for people in case of fire, which are placed in visible places, for protection facilities with large numbers of people (50 people or more) (clause 5 of the PPR). And at least once every six months, conduct practical training on the evacuation of persons in the building (clause 9 of the PPR).

Smoking is prohibited on the territory of preschool educational institutions; the manager ensures that fire safety signs “Smoking and the use of open fire are prohibited” are placed at the protection objects.

Water supply system

To ensure safety, the head of the preschool educational institution is obliged to ensure that the fire-fighting water supply is in good condition. For this purpose, inspections and maintenance of fire hydrants are periodically carried out. The results of the inspection are recorded in the act.

The same requirements apply to water reservoirs. In case of failure of pumps, water supply network or repair work, the head of the kindergarten is obliged to notify the fire department.

The design of fire-fighting water supply should be carried out taking into account the minimum water flow during a fire. The flow rate for buildings up to 2 floors high is 10 liters per second. Consumption for buildings with more than 2 floors is 15 liters per second.

Informing preschool students about fire safety

The educational process of students should include fire safety lessons, where information should be conveyed to children in an understandable form about the dangers of using matches for other purposes, starting an uncontrolled fire, the dangers of smoke, etc. Viewing drawings, comics, cartoons (videos) on fire safety topics - is only beneficial.

Together with representatives of local emergency services, it is necessary to conduct special training to practice actions when calling fire departments and other special services, evacuating children and preschool workers, and providing first aid. An important step will be the conduct of safety lessons by the Ministry of Emergency Situations workers, an explanation of the operation of fire equipment and fire extinguishing equipment. Children need to be clearly explained and their understanding checked what they will have to do if a fire occurs, what they can do and what they cannot do. The more coordinated the overall efforts are, the greater the likelihood of avoiding serious consequences.

Prohibited measures in preschool institutions

Due to increased fire safety standards, a list of prohibited actions is provided. So, in the case of redevelopment in a preschool educational institution, technological standards should not be violated. The use of building materials with a low fire safety class is NOT allowed. When the power supply is turned off, the use of candles and kerosene lamps is not allowed. All lamps must be covered with diffusers.

Electrical devices must be connected to the network only under the supervision of personnel. Boilers and electric kettles should be used exclusively in special rooms. Homemade heating devices are not allowed to be used in preschool educational institutions.

It is not allowed to close or obstruct escape routes or hang mirrors to prevent deformations.

Fire safety requirements in relation to preschool educational institutions

All preschool educational institutions belong to the category of extremely high risk and are subject to the most stringent fire safety measures, as well as periodic inspections of the state fire control system of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia once every 2 years (plus before the preschool educational institution is ready for the school year).

Availability of fire alarm

According to Article 32 of the Federal Law-123, the buildings of preschool educational institutions belong to class F1.1 of functional fire hazard, which provides for the presence in the preschool educational institution of autonomous backup sources of power supply (Article 82 of Federal Law-123) and duplication of signals about the occurrence of a fire to the control panel of fire departments without the participation of workers object and (or) organization broadcasting this signal (Article 83 of Federal Law-123).

Material requirements

Also functional fire hazard class F1.1:

• involves the use of external insulation systems of fire hazard class K0 (Article 87 of Federal Law-123);
• prohibits the use of decorative and finishing materials and floor coverings with a higher fire hazard than class KM2 (Article 134);
• allows the finishing of walls and ceilings of halls for music and physical education classes in preschool educational organizations to be made of material of class KM0 and (or) KM1.

Checking fire hydrants (taps)

If there is a fire-fighting water supply on the territory of the preschool educational institution and there are fire hydrants and taps, then twice a year it is necessary to check for water loss (to ensure compliance with the working pressure) by an organization licensed to carry out such work.

When installed on a fire hydrant, the fire hose installation must be changed once a year and checked for damage.

More detailed and visual information on fire safety requirements in relation to the facilities of preschool educational institutions can be found in the table:

Elimination of the formation of a flammable environment and the occurrence of ignition sources

In order for a fire to occur, at least three components are required: a flammable medium, an ignition source and oxygen Click to go to FireWiki in the air. In addition, they must all be present together at the same time. Of course, we cannot eliminate oxygen in the air, but we can separate the flammable environment and ignition sources from each other. By eliminating the contact of these two elements, we will prevent fire.

Let's start with the flammable environment Click to go to FireWiki. When monitoring the possibility of formation of a flammable environment, it is necessary to pay attention to the following:

a) store and use in attics, basements, basements and underground floors, as well as under the pile space of buildings, flammable and combustible liquids, gunpowder, explosives, pyrotechnic products, cylinders with flammable gases, goods in aerosol packaging, waste of any hazard class and other fire and explosive substances and materials;

b) use attics, technical, basement and ground floors, undergrounds, ventilation chambers and other technical premises for organizing production areas, workshops, as well as for storing products, equipment, furniture and other items;

c) remove the doors of evacuation exits from floor corridors, halls, foyers, lobbies, vestibules, vestibules, airlocks and staircases provided for in the design documentation, as well as other doors that prevent the spread of fire hazards along evacuation routes;

d) arrange storage rooms and other utility rooms in stairwells, as well as store things, furniture, equipment and other flammable materials under flights of stairs and on landings.

Next, we will try to, if not get rid of, then at least take control of the ignition sources. Click to go to FireWiki.

When monitoring the formation of possible ignition sources, you must pay attention to the fact that it is prohibited:

a) operate electrical wires and cables with visible insulation damage and traces of thermal effects;

b) use sockets, switches, and other electrical installations that are damaged;

c) operate lamps with removed caps (diffusers) provided for by the design, as well as wrap electric lamps and lamps (with incandescent lamps) with paper, cloth and other flammable materials;

d) use electric irons, electric stoves, electric kettles and other electric heating devices that do not have thermal protection devices, as well as in the absence or malfunction of thermostats provided for by their design;

e) use non-standard (homemade) electric heating devices and extension cords to power electrical appliances, as well as use uncalibrated fuse links or other homemade overload and short circuit protection devices;

f) place (store) in electrical switchboards, as well as closer than 1 meter from electrical switchboards, electric motors and starting equipment, combustible and flammable substances and materials;

g) when carrying out emergency and other construction, installation and restoration work, as well as when turning on the electric heating of vehicles, use temporary electrical wiring, including extension cords, surge protectors, which are not intended by their characteristics to power the electrical appliances used;

h) lay electrical wiring on a flammable base or apply (stick) flammable materials to electrical wiring;

i) leave unattended electric heating devices connected to the electrical network, as well as other household electrical appliances, including those in standby mode, with the exception of electrical appliances that can and (or) must be in 24-hour operation in accordance with the manufacturer’s technical documentation.

However, the cause of a fire is not always a technical component. Statistics convincingly show that very often a fire occurs due to the careless handling of fire by preschool staff, so you must be prepared to organize the safe evacuation of all people in the building.

conclusions

Preschool educational institutions are a fundamental component in educating the younger generation about fire safety, as well as complex facilities in terms of fire danger, where large numbers of people predominate and where total control over compliance with fire safety requirements is necessary.

As we can see from the material reviewed, the scope for maintaining documentation on fire safety and organizational measures is no less, and often more, than in office premises and production facilities.