The fire brigade made 17 comments regarding fire safety at the nursery school Hálsaskógur. Escape routes had been nailed shut to prevent children from being harmed during construction work.
Firefighters were taken aback during their visit to the nursery school Hálsaskógur in Breiðholt last week. Representatives from the fire brigade were there to deliver a safety and educational presentation for the children and to introduce them to Bjössi Brunabjörn (Bjössi the Fire Bear).
It appears the visit was well timed, as the firefighters discovered serious deficiencies in fire safety and escape routes. Construction work is underway on the school grounds, and one of the two buildings is closed. The observations were made at Hálsakot, the building where the nursery school is still operating.
IThe inspection report by the fire brigade lists 17 deficiencies in the school’s fire safety, including that escape routes had been nailed shut, locked with chains, or obstructed by furniture. Some routes were also too narrow. According to RÚV sources, these measures had been taken to prevent children from wandering into danger during the construction work.
According to the report, the ongoing construction at the nursery school is supposed to be completed in December, but it is behind schedule. A large trench has been dug on the premises. Aldís Rún Lárusdóttir, director of the fire prevention division, says the comments were serious enough that the nursery school was ordered to take immediate action to continue operations.
Fire chief Jón Viðar Matthíasson says that the blocked and obstructed escape routes were noted during the inspection. The nursery school has since acted and taken the necessary corrective measures without delay.
Deputy head Bryndís Björk Eyþórsdóttir referred media enquiries to Reykjavík City’s communications officer and declined to comment.
In a written response from the city’s spokesperson, it is stated that supervision of the construction work is in the hands of an external engineering firm. The firm had already requested that the contractor make changes to ensure fire safety before the fire brigade’s visit.
Unfortunately, it appears the contractor did not respond quickly enough, and follow-up monitoring by the supervising body was also, to some extent, inadequate.
By 3 October, most of the issues raised by the fire brigade had been fixed or improved. Measures to improve access for emergency responders are in their final stage. The city emphasises that the safety of children during construction is always the top priority.
The City of Reykjavík’s Department of Environment and Planning views this matter very seriously and considers the situation unacceptable. The department will now review procedures with inspectors and contractors.
Source: Ruv.is
