Quote:
The County Council have recently been carrying out vehicle inspections at schools and have written to us, and other transport providers from our Borough, telling us that it is a contract requirement that we carry a fire extinguisher whilst on school contracts. however they will not tell me what type or size that we have to carry. they have just said that the contract states that we must "carry a fire extinguisher in accordance with current guidelines of the health and safety executive.
The latest draft DfT Best Practise Guidance has this little interesting nugget in.
Emergency equipment
8.19 The National Fire Chief Council (NFCC) recommend that licensing authorities require
fire extinguishers to be provided in vehicles, should ensure that suitable and
sufficient training is received by the drivers.
8.20 The NFCC’s advice is that if a licensing authority elects not to require drivers to
undertake training on the safe way to tackle a vehicle fire, vehicles should not be
required to carry fire extinguishers and drivers advised to get out and stay out of the
vehicle and call 999, rather than attempting to firefight.The first bit is badly worded, but in essence, the top fire safety people say councils should ensure drivers are suitably trained if it's a licensing requirement. But more importantly in your case, they say that untrained drivers should get out and not attempt to firefight.
So ask your County Council why they think the NFCC are wrong.