Most established school buildings in America utilize boilers for heat in the winter. Over time, these boilers tend to get a little temperamental, and need more frequent maintenance repairs. Even so, tragedy can still strike, and boilers can still explode. If this happens, you should do all of the following.
Evacuate the Building
If a boiler has blown, it will cause untold damage to the school property. Until you can get someone in to assess the damages and address boiler repair, the school is no safe place for kids or teachers. Evacuate the building as soon as you are able. School may have to be cancelled for a few days until everything is repaired, replaced and functioning normally again.
Make Sure Everyone Is Accounted For
If anyone was within eight feet of the boiler or the boiler room, there may be a good chance that someone got hurt. Once everyone has evacuated the building, make sure everyone is accounted for. If anyone is missing that should not be, call an ambulance and the fire department.
Direct Rescue Teams to the Boiler Room and Exploded Boiler
In order to conduct a thorough search of the building, the rescue teams need to first see where the boiler room is. Take them into the school as far as the teams allow, and then point out the door to the boiler room. Firefighters will make sure nothing is on fire or in danger of igniting, and then turn off the valves to the boiler to prevent further accidents and burns by steam. Rescue teams will sweep the area and then sweep other places in the building where kids might be, such as bathrooms before coming back out and giving the "all clear."
Alert Parents to the Fact That the School Is Closing
Whether your school uses email or text messages, be sure to alert all of the parents that there is an emergency school closing. Also, alert parents to where they can pick up their children, as they will have to be removed from school grounds because of the potential dangers still present in the building. Inform parents that if they want to know more about what happened and just when school will resume, they are to call the district office.
Call an HVAC Contractor Right Away
After evacuation and after all of the children have been picked up, call an HVAC contractor right away. You want to get the school up and running again. In winter, this is especially urgent because you do not want any of the pipes to freeze and cause additional damage. Most contractors can work on emergency issues long after the school day typically ends, which will help put things right again a lot sooner.
