Enlightening lessons

["Michael Keaney" <Michael.Keaney@xxxxxx>]

2200 pupils sent home after electrical explosions

IAIN WILSON

The Herald, 14 September 2001

      A teaching union demanded answers yesterday
      over safety when 2200 pupils were evacuated
      after a series of electrical explosions in a
      Glasgow school.

      Holyrood Secondary is one of the first schools to
      be refurbished under Glasgow's £1.2bn flagship
      private-public partnership. Work began last year
      and is not due to finish until next August.

      Pupils were led to the playing field and the fire
      brigade called after light bulbs exploded in two
      corridors, and smoke billowed from computers
      in the administration block, which includes
      classrooms. Pupils and staff were sent home
      early.

      Chaos surrounded the return of five Glasgow
      schools last month because health and safety
      certificates could not be issued until the night
      before reopening.

      At the time, the EIS teachers' union told of loose
      wiring at Shawlands Secondary and ceiling
      panels to cover wiring missing at Hillpark
      Secondary. Other schools were said to still
      resemble building sites.

      Willie Hart, EIS Glasgow secretary, said: "We
      need to ask hard questions over safety and the
      quality of work in the refurbishment programme.
      We also want to know what lessons will be
      learned, and to receive assurances that
      upgrading is to the highest degree possible."

      Holyrood, on the south side, received health and
      safety clearances three days before the summer
      holidays came to an end.

      Glasgow City Council said it was "irresponsible
      and alarmist" of the union to try to "drum up
      concern about the quality of work being done in
      our schools on the basis of one incident".

      One Holyrood teacher described the
      malfunctions as "scary and worrying", adding: "It
      was awful, and people were in a state of shock.
      We want to know what happened, could it
      happen again, and what measures will be put in
      place - especially when the school had been
      cleared to accept pupils."

      Electricians on site have yet to identify the
      problem, and an engineer from the design and
      installation firm is assisting. Council health and
      safety staff are also involved.

      The EIS and council have been at loggerheads
      since the decision was taken to close 10
      secondary schools and rebuild or upgrade the
      remaining 29 via a partnership with 3ED, a
      consortium involving the Miller Group, Amey,
      Halifax, Mitel, Hewlett Packard, and Morse.

      The council said the Holyrood incident was the
      only one of its kind so far in a project running for
      over a year on more than 25 sites. A
      spokeswoman said: "Our team monitors and
      certificates all new and refurbished work,
      ensuring it meets good industry practice, and all
      work has to meet our health and safety
      standards."

      The school will be open to pupils today.

Full article at:
http://www.theherald.co.uk/news/archive/14-9-19101-0-21-51.html

Michael Keaney
Mercuria Business School
Martinlaaksontie 36
01620 Vantaa
Finland

michael.keaney@xxxxxx