Does this mean that they are regretting the departure of BB7? I have heard this view expressed by architects and personally found it easier to consult BB7 than extricating the relevant parts for schools from the approved documents.
Sprinklers seem to be generally seen as a property protection rather than life protection measure and whenever suggested, in my experience, the client has preferred to go with the current 'industry practice' of not having them (and saving the cost). I suspect that there is insufficient direct relationship between insurance premiums and those controlling school spending budgets for sprinklers to be seen as a cost-saving measure. A stronger stand on this by the DfES might, however, have the desired effect.
Proper risk management would assess all the savings that a sprinkler system brings, not just the insurance premium discounts. Insurance doesn't pay for many of the aspects of the loss including:
The deductible (excess) perhaps £100,000 - £250,000
Business Interuption costs (unless insured)
Transporting kids to alternative locations for perhaps 3 years
Hire of temporary accomodation for rebuild period
Loss of community facilities, scout groups use, local training facility, sports facilities - schools are moving towards community use
Environmental damage of fire, smoke in environment, polluted run off water
Environmental damage of needing to use finite resources to re build
Environmental damage to trannsport good used to build school
Staff stress, demotivation
Pupil stress and demotivation
Lost work, coursework
Loss of personal effects, pupils and teachers
Loss of teaching aids, most of which take decades to buid up.
Injury and loss of life (money cannot fix these things)
In addition to the insurance premium savings (which could is significant) and typically with withdrawal of the deductible (excess) for fire, there are plenty other benefits:
Inceased architectural freedom in terms of compartment sizes and building components used
Knolwedge that my list above won't happen
Proper risk management would cost benefit all these costs, although the insurance premium saving, on an individual premises (problem being most schools not insured individually) would cover the costs, just depends how long it will take.
