New fire risk assessment of School of Art buildings to be ‘rigorous’
FIRE safety experts will be brought in next month to assess the blaze risk to buildings overseen by the Glasgow School of Art. The institution is to appoint a contractor on November 2 to “undertake a fire compliance report on GSA’s buildings”, according to documents seen by The Herald on Sunday.
A GSA spokeswoman confirmed last night that an “extremely rigorous analysis” will be carried out on the estate.
GSA’s Mackintosh Building – designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh – has burned down twice in four years.
Known as The Mack, it was gutted by fire in 2014, then a blaze in June this year destroyed the majority of the structure, which was built in two stages between 1897 and 1899, and between 1907 and 1909. The independent fire safety expert will be expected to assess the risk to more than a dozen GSA buildings in Glasgow, including the historic Barnes Building, JD Kelly Building and Haldane Building, all of which were constructed before the end of the 19th century. The McLellan Galler- ies, the GSA Student Association, and a GSA building near Forres in the Highlands will also be looked at.
The tendering document states: “The fire risk assessment will help identify risks that can be removed or reduced and to decide the nature and extent of the general fire precautions that need to be taken to protect people against the fire risks that remain.” It also states that building must be assessed “as soon as possible but no later than December”. The first fire in 2014 began when a projector ignited expanding foam from an art student’s degree show exhibit. The cause of the second fire is yet to be determined. A GSA spokeswoman said last night: “The GSA was in control of the Mack in 2014 but not in 2018.”
Restoration contractor Kier Construction, which was in control of the site in 2018, said it had a fire safety strategy which included regular evacuation tests and 24/7 security and fire patrols by a team of three guards. There is no suggestion Kier Construction was responsible for the recent fire. An investigation is ongoing.
When The Herald on Sunday asked to speak to someone from the GSA about the appointment of an independent fire safety expert, a spokeswoman said: “There isn’t really anything to add beyond that in addition to the ongoing assessments we are commissioning this external one as part of a rigorous assessment post June 2018.” She added: “There was an extremely rigorous analysis after the fire in 2014 and it is important that we do this again.”