Hi there Guys,
I have been installing the wiring side of the Air Conditioning and Heating installation, that was converted from one type of Building to another, although both being Commercial installations.

• Question 1: This place was converted from an old Super-market to a new ESOL school, would this building have to have Sprinklers and at least Smoke Detectors where you come from?
• Question 2:The occupancy of the building will be at most 75, should there then be a requirement for a Registered First-Aid person on site?

What are your thoughts on this?

[This message has been edited by Trumpy (edited 02-12-2004).]

I've not worked in the schools field before, but I'm pretty sure that our Health & Safety Regulations require smoke/fire alarms in such places. I'm not sure about first-aid requirements, but again with the strict rules operating these days I would imagine that at least one trained person would be needed to comply.

By the way, what is ESOL ?

Paul,
ESOL (or ESL) is English as a second language.
This school will be used to teach foreign students English.

Trumpy,

Any luck finding out the requirements yet?

Good Lord Paul,
I somehow wish that I had kept my mouth shut on this one!.
I had a chat with our Chief Fire Officer (my Brigade boss, who also does the same sort of job as a Fire Marshall, in the US) after a fire call today and he rang Fire Safety, to get them to investigate the premises and the installed equipment (or lack thereof).
About 2 Hours later, I got a ring on my cellphone from my Boss, saying that I was to go to this Building as "someone" wanted to see me, regarding this matter.
So that's OK I get there and there is the Building Owner and the Architect looking at me and they are none too happy.
So we had a real beauty of an argument and also I was backed up by one of the painters who is a local Volunteer FF.
Up shot of this all, there are the smoke detectors and the sprinklers that have to be installed BEFORE the building is used for it's intended purpose.
But, the Architect really stuffed-up this time and it will cost him dearly.
I just feel sorry for the contractors that have to install it all, now that all of the linings are on.
The Sprinkler guys will be REALLY annoyed!, mind you, they have been told to price the job accordingly!.
It's ALL on the Architect.

Sounds as though somebody might be back-chargin the architect for the extra cost when it's all over.

Sometimes you end up wishing you just hadn't asked.....