St Nicholas
School

Ensuring safety in educational environments

St Nicholas School in Dundalk required fire safety certification for a new school extension. Educational buildings carry particular responsibility — the safety of children, staff, and visitors demands rigorous compliance with the most current fire safety standards. F5 Engineering was appointed to deliver the complete fire safety engineering scope for this project.

The new extension added significant floor area to the existing school campus, introducing new classrooms, circulation corridors, assembly areas, and associated ancillary spaces. Each area required careful assessment against Technical Guidance Document B (TGD B) — the primary regulatory framework for fire safety in Irish buildings.

Fire safety design

Our fire safety design addressed the specific requirements for Purpose Group 5 (Assembly and Recreation) buildings, which includes schools. The design incorporated appropriate means of escape provisions based on occupancy calculations for each teaching space, ensuring adequate exit widths and travel distances.

Fire compartmentation was designed to contain potential fires and protect escape routes, with particular attention to the interface between the new extension and the existing school building. Fire-resisting construction, doors, and penetration seals were specified to achieve the required periods of fire resistance.

Detection and alarm

A fire detection and alarm system was designed to provide early warning across the extension, integrating with the existing school's alarm infrastructure. The system specification addressed the unique challenges of educational settings, including high-occupancy classrooms, specialist teaching areas, and corridor networks.

Certification

The Fire Safety Certificate application was prepared and submitted to the Building Control Authority with comprehensive supporting documentation, including fire safety drawings, compartmentation plans, escape route analysis, and fire engineering calculations. The certificate was successfully obtained, allowing construction to proceed on schedule.