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Alan Dransfield's Blog

Freedom of Information and Health and Safety

This blog is aimed at shaming those who ignore health and safety and those who abuse the Freedom of Information Act out of laziness, corruption or to cover up incompetence.

Fire, Mr Bradshaw, Fire, Fire

PFI Schools Posted on Tue, January 12, 2016 08:17:43

Email sent – 10/01/2016 20:1

Dear
Mr Bradshaw

As
you are aware, I have raised fire safety issues at the 6 Private Finance Initiative schools in Exeter.
Please see the following article about PFI school fire hazards in the
Wirral:

Does fire safety construction flaw at PFI school affect
Wirral schools?

11/1/16 08:19 Edited to change University Academy Birkenhead to Birkenhead Park School as it changed its name last year.

A report to be considered by councillors on the Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority‘s Performance and Scrutiny Committee on Tuesday afternoon warns, during a fire at a PFI school on Merseyside, that smoke spread from a ground floor kitchen to a protected staircase.

Further investigation found the same problem at eleven additional PFI sites.

Wirral has a number of schools constructed using PFI that are managed by Wirral Schools Services Limited. It is not known if any of the schools on the Wirral are affected by this. Here is the information from the report.

Case Study 2: Fire Separation in Major Construction projects

24. A site visit to a local school on 9th January 2015 following a fire on 7th January 2015 (incident no 32304) identified serious fire separation concerns due to smoke spread from the ground floor kitchen to the 1st floor protected staircase.

25. The school was built as part of a Private Finance Initiative (PFI) initiative. The investigation led to 11 additional PFI sites where the same issues were detected. As the issues potentially had national implications Protection Officers utilised the CFOA [Chief Fire Officer Association] Community of Practice to share the risk information. It was subsequently established that the same issue had been found in other major new-build / refurbishment projects across England with estimated repair bills totalling in excess of £100m.

26. Officers escalated the issue to the CFOA Fire Engineering Technical Standards Group due to the national potential in order that the risk information can be effectively shared with other Fire and Rescue Services and that national guidance is produced to ensure that these issues are dealt with consistently and effectively.”

Will either of the two Wirral councillors (Cllr Lesley Rennie and Cllr Jean Stapleton) on MFRA’s Performance and Scrutiny Committee ask if any of the Wirral PFI Schools (Leasowe Primary, Bebington High, Birkenhead Park School (previously University Academy Birkenhead and before that Park High), South Wirral High, Weatherhead High, Hilbre High, Prenton High, Wallasey High and Wirral Grammar Girls) or the two Wirral PFI City Learning Centres (Wallasey City Learning Centre and Hilbre City Learning Centre) are affected by this?”

I would call upon MP to write to the Devon County Council to enquire if such dangers have been considered at the Exeter PFI schools.

With thanks

Alan Dransfield



The Information Commission says this is just plain wrong

PFI Schools Posted on Sat, August 29, 2015 07:38:18

The Information Commissioner has declared sensible questions regarding PFI school safety as “vexatious”. Whose side is he on? I often wonder.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/eight-pfi-schools-built-by-one-of-uks-biggest-private-contractors-have-fire-safety-issues-10303595.html

Comments from this article:-

“My child goes to a PFI funded school which suffered for many years from a legionella contaminated water supply. The value for money we are getting as taxpayers from this PFI scam (there is no better term for PFI than ‘scam’) is so incredibly poor and the evaluation of PFI so woefully deficient that I often wonder whether their best purpose could be to serve as an interesting school project – let the kids look at the facts, do the sums and form their conclusions”

“The ‘excuse’ is that PFI delivers a better product, faster, at a better price. Faster and at a better price is no doubt achievable, but thinking you will get a better product is to display naivety on an epic scale. As soon as you factor in profit, then you guarantee corner cutting. What I do know for sure (from somebody involved in PFI projects) is that PFI procurement is a farce and lots of people get opportunities to stick their snout in the trough. Bet that comes as a surprise.”



PFI Schools have fire safety issues

PFI Schools Posted on Thu, June 11, 2015 19:35:00

http://voxpoliticalonline.com/2015/06/07/pfi-schools-have-fire-safety-issues-isnt-this-a-breach-of-contract/



As Built Heath and Safety Files should be kept on the premises

PFI Schools Posted on Mon, May 04, 2015 06:41:28

Email sent – 04 May 2015 06:26

ISCA College

Dear Alison

Thank you for your email confirming you do not
hold any As Built Health and Safety Files (ABHSF)on your premises. It would
automatically follow the school is operating in a legal void and your public
liability insurance could be evoked in the event of a fatal accident at the ISCA
College. It is a mandatory requirement to keep a copy of the ABHSF at the ISCA
premises.

I have asked Mr Ben Bradshaw to intervene on this matter.

With
thanks

Yours sincerely

Alan M Dransfield



No Health and Safety Files Held.

PFI Schools Posted on Sun, May 03, 2015 08:38:23

Email sent – 29 April 2015 14:57

Dear Mr Bradshaw MP

Please see the following email from Chudleigh schools, who confirm they do
not hold any as built Health & Safety files at the school.

It is a legal requirement to hold such files on the premises

Strikes me the Devon County Council don’t know what they are doing

Dransfield

From: “Chudleigh School Administrator”

Date:
29 April 2015 14:29:41 BST
To: “‘alan dransfield'” <
Subject:
RE: FOIA REQUEST

Dear
Mr. Dransfield,

In
response to your request, I am now able to advise that we are a Devon County
Council maintained school and our

on-
going maintenance is undertaken via NPS. We do not hold ‘As Built Health &
Safety files’ as these are held by whoever commissioned the building. In our
case this would be DCC. I note that DCC have referred you to apply directly to
us but I wonder if there might have been a misunderstanding with a school with a
similar name which is an academy school? Therefore DCC would have referred you
direct them.

Yours
sincerely,

Barbara
Carr

School
Business Manager

From: alan
dransfield [
Sent: 27 April 2015 05:59
To: admin@chudleigh.devon.sch.uk
Subject:
FOIA REQUEST

Chudleigh Primary
School

Dear Sir or
Madam

I have been informed by the DCC
to redirect my FOIA request directly to the school.

Under protection of the FOIA
2000, please provide me with the following
information.

1. A copy of the As Built
Health and Safety File aka Operation Maintenance
Manuals.

With
thanks

Yours
sincerely

Alan M
Dransfield.



Who is responsible? Vexatious to ask.

PFI Schools Posted on Sun, May 03, 2015 08:03:18

Email sent – 01 May 2015 06:45

Dear Mr Bradshaw MP

Please see the response from the ISCA college.

Devon County Council has informed me that the DCC does not hold any remit for Academy
schools.

I seek your assistance in this matter please.

By the way, the ISCA college is operating in a legal void in the absence of any as
built Health &Safety files.

Alan M Dransfield

From: “Alison Moxey”
Date:
29 April 2015 21:00:07 CEST
To: “Alan”
Subject:
Re: Contact Form Isca College

Dear Mr Dransfield

Thank you for
your email. I am not sure who at DCC referred you back to us. The documents
you refer to are not in the procession of the school, they are held between DCC
and the PFI contractor.

I am sorry I cannot be
of any further help

Kind
regards
Ali

Alison
Moxey
Assistant Vice Principal
Isca

Earl Richards Road
South
Exeter
01392
204082

On 28 Apr 2015, at 11:19, Alan wrote:
Dear Ali
The DCC advised me to contact the school because
you are now an academy.
Kind regards
Alan
On 28 Apr 2015, at 07:48, Alison Moxey wrote:

Dear Mr
Dransfield

Thank you for your email. This request will need
to be made to Devon County Council please liaise with them
direct.

Kind regards

Ali

Alison Moxey

Assistant Vice
Principal

Isca Academy

Earl Richards Road
South

Exeter EX2
6AP

01392 204082

From: Admin Office

Sent: 27 April 2015
12:28

To: Alison
Moxey

Subject: FW: Contact Form Isca
Coll

Sent: 26 April 2015
07:45

To: adminoffice@iscacollege.devon.sch.uk

Subject: Contact Form Isca
College

Contact Form Entry :

Name :

Email Address : alanmdransfield@gmail.com Subject :
FOIA REQUEST Comment

Under protection of the FOIA 2000 please provide
me with a copy of your

1. As Built Health and Safety Files a.k.a. Operations
Maintenance Manual.

2. A copy of your Approved Lightning Risk
Assessment.



Ofsted response re safety in schools

PFI Schools Posted on Tue, March 24, 2015 01:39:34

Email sent – 23 March 2015 15:41

Dear Mr Bradshaw

Please see the attached letter from OFSTED ref my concerns for safety and welfare of thousands of children and staff at the 6 Private Finance Inititiative schools in Exeter.

I fervently believe that OFSTED does hold remit for safety and welfare for
children in UK schools and I consider this response from OFSTED is hogwash at
best….

I now call upon my MP to write to both OFSTED and the Minister of Education demanding a public inquiry into the 6 PFI schools in Exeter.

I would envisage this issue is not isolated to Exeter PFI schools but
systemic failures by OFSTED and Local Education Authorities nationwide.

As you are aware my FOIA case involving the Exeter 6 PFI schools is parked up awaiting the Court of Appeal conclusion. One of these schools has had
contaminated drinking for addecade since it was built in 2005 and those idiots at OFSTED do not accept that drinking water in schools comes under welfare.

For your information urgent action and files.

Yours sincerely

Alan M Dransfield



£1m per month to run 6 PFI schools

PFI Schools Posted on Sun, February 22, 2015 13:39:53

Email sent – 22 February 2015 13:21

Dear Mr Bradshaw

I note from the Devon County Council £500 expenditure listing that the DCC are paying Modern
Schools Ltd the best part of ONE (1) million pounds per month to run the PFI
schools.

Don’t you think that’s a wee bit steep?

Dransfield



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