School bans aerosol deodorants after false fire alarms

Children have been told not to use antiperspirants at school because they have been triggering smoke alarms.

The new school at Boroughmuir High in Edinburgh, which opened in February, has seen a number of false alarms.

It is thought that pupils are setting off the smoke detectors by spraying deodorant and headteacher David Dempster has now written to parents and carers to let them know of the ban.

Mr Dempster said: “As you may be aware, we have had a spate of false fire alarms recently, resulting in full evacuation of the building.

“This is hugely disruptive to learning and teaching and the life of the school more generally.

“We are aware that some of these alarms were the result of smoke detectors being hit in error or overly sensitive smoke detectors in PE changing rooms being set off by spray deodorant.

“As a result of this over-sensitivity, we are asking that pupils do not use spray deodorants after PE in PE changing rooms or anywhere in the school.

“In fact, we see it as essential that we ban the use of spray deodorants in the school to mitigate any future possibility of fire alarms being set off in error.

“I would appreciate your support in this.”

Mr Dempster added: “It is now apparent ... that there have been efforts to set the fire alarm off maliciously with deodorants during lunchtime in stairwells, as well as efforts to break the glass on fire panels.

“I have announced to all pupils that anyone acting in this way will be charged by the police and will be excluded from school.

“I have also asked pupils – the vast, vast majority being responsibleandmatureyoung people who are immensely proud of their school – to let any member of staff know of any information they have in allowing us to ascertain who the perpetrators are.”

A City of Edinburgh Council spokesperson said that all the smoke alarm activations have been false alarms and that they are looking to replace the sensors.

But they said there was nothing to indicate it had anything to do with another craze sweeping schools up and down the country where pupils spray deodorant on each other.

One ten-year-old girl in England suffered second-degree burns during such a stunt.

Jamie Prescott, 42, has told how daughter Ellie may need a skin graft after taking part in “the deodorant challenge” with classmates.

The game involves spraying deodorant onto a person’s bare skin for as long as possible.