Sprinklers not for pupil safety
RE YOUR article headlined “Safety fear as schools dodge sprinkler laws” (News, 28 July). Sprinklers are essentially for property protection. Safety of pupils depends on a well-planned exit system, with regular training in its use, together with an adequate warning system. By the time there is enough heat, almost certainly accompanied by smoke, to set off the sprinkler system, it may well be too late to escape.
Sprinklers may be of use in containing a fire in another part of the school, but evacuation of the premises is still the first option.
D P Foster, Clachan Seil, Argyll