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Evacuation space principles for kindergartens and schools in the city of Imatra
These principles have been prepared for kindergartens and schools in the city of Imatra. The welfare and education services area of responsibility is the largest user group of the facilities. Often, the size of the facilities in use and the number of customers within the scope of the services are such that the transfer of functions to emergency facilities requires clear principles and an operating model. For facilities other than schools and daycare centers, these emergency room principles guide the judgment when deciding on emergency room solutions.
Objectives
The general goal is that the condition of the facilities used by the city of Imatra is actively monitored and problems are tackled before they develop into such serious situations that unplanned emergency situations arise. However, based on experience, sometimes we find ourselves in a situation where a sudden transfer of operations to other premises is required.
The purpose of these principles is to clarify the division of responsibilities and decision-making, and to harmonize the perception of different actors about the operating model in sudden emergency situations. The ultimate goal is to secure the equal treatment of children, students and staff and to ensure that the operation can be moved to safe and healthy premises as quickly as possible, taking into account financial and operational issues as well.
Sudden evasive situations
The need for sudden evasion can be caused by, for example, the following situations:
- A fire, water damage or other similar unforeseen and unexpected situation occurs in the premises, which is why it is not possible to continue the operation and the premises must be immediately closed in whole or in part.
- The environmental health of the Imatra region prohibits the use of the facilities. If the health hazard is obvious and there is reason to suspect that it causes an immediate danger, the hazard cannot be remedied, or if the order of the health protection authority to eliminate the hazard has not been followed, and other measures in accordance with the Health Protection Act are not considered sufficient, the health protection authority can prohibit or limit the use of the apartment or other living space. (Health Protection Act 1237/2014 Section 27: Health hazard occurring in an apartment or other living space). The environmental health opinion or decision is stated in the welfare committee and the city council.
- The occupational health and safety authority can, by issuing a prohibition of use, restrict work in situations where the workplace poses a risk to the employee's health (Act on occupational safety supervision and cooperation in occupational safety and health 44/2006 § 16: Prohibition of use and temporary prohibition of use).
- The occupational health and safety representative has the right, subject to the restrictions set out in section 36, to suspend work for the employees he represents, if the work causes an immediate and serious danger to the employee's life or health. The occupational health and safety representative must, when it is possible considering the nature of the danger and other circumstances, notify the employer of the suspension of work in advance and in any case as soon as it can happen without danger. After making sure that there is no danger, the employer can order the work to continue. Interruption of work must not restrict work to a greater extent than is necessary in terms of occupational safety and health. When interrupting work, care must be taken that the possible harm and danger caused by the interruption is as minimal as possible. If the occupational health and safety commissioner has interrupted the work in accordance with this section, he is not obliged to compensate for any damage that may result from the interruption of the work. (Act on occupational health and safety supervision and cooperation in occupational health and safety 44/2006 § 36: The right of an occupational health and safety representative to interrupt dangerous work).
- Mitra has made such measurements and observations, on the basis of which it estimates that the teaching or daycare facilities are not healthy or safe and the facilities should therefore be taken out of use.
- Based on the number of employees with symptoms and the quality of the symptoms, the Occupational Health Service estimates that the health hazard in the premises is so significant that it does not recommend working in the premises until remedial measures are taken.
- The city's indoor air working group recommends, based on the overall assessment of the health and safety of the premises, that the premises should be moved to sheltered premises.
These principles do not apply to planned, scheduled renovation projects included in the budget and the like, which are not sudden emergency situations. Such situations are taken into account as part of normal repair and investment planning, and the necessary detours can be decided at the city government/council level.
Avoidance process
The following picture shows the process related to the use of escape rooms and the responsible parties in each step of the process.
The evacuation process for schools and kindergartens
The urgency of moving to evacuation zones
The decision to close the facilities in whole or in part or to continue using the facilities is made by the mayor or his deputy. The decision is based on the indoor air working group's recommendation and other known facts. The matter is discussed in the executive management group, which meets once a week. At least a representative of the management of welfare and education services, the occupational health and safety manager and the CEO of Imatran Toimitilat Oy should be involved in the discussion. If the authority or other authorized entity (see chapter 1) has not set a deadline for moving to the evacuation facilities, the mayor's decision must include a date by which the evacuation must be completed.
Principles for choosing an avoidance mode
A) Those used by welfare and education services are primarily used. suitable premises with free capacity that can be used quickly. In this case, the welfare board decides on the location of the teaching. The welfare director decides on the place to hold the lesson in an emergency situation, if the mayor's decision requires an evacuation or a decision on the object of the evacuation before the next board meeting.
B) Secondarily, temporary rental premises are acquired in fixed or movable buildings. There are different types of portable spaces. Mainly, two standardized types of spatial elements are used: the so-called modular or barrack structures, which are the manufacturer's stock products, from which spaces corresponding to the need are modified or so-called pavilion buildings that are designed and manufactured according to the user's needs. Both types of space can be equipped according to the user's needs (e.g. water and sewer connections, special class needs). In this case, the welfare board approves a needs assessment, in which it makes a presentation on the location of the activity and the amount of space needed. The city government decides on the acquisition of premises by renting.
In the early stages of an acute emergency, you may have to make temporary arrangements.
Requirements set by legislation
- The daycare must be suitable for the child and the child's care and education in terms of health and other conditions (Section 6 of the Act on Daycare for Children).
- Pupils and students have the right to a safe study environment (Basic Education Act § 29, Upper Secondary School Act § 21).
- Pupils' journeys to school must be as safe and short as possible, taking into account the location of settlements, schools and other places where teaching is organized, as well as traffic conditions (Basic Education Act § 6).
- When organizing pre-school education, it should also be taken into account that the children participating in the education have the opportunity to use daycare services (Basic Education Act § 6).
- The student has the right to free school transportation if the distance to the nearest school designated by the municipality is more than five kilometers (Basic Education Act § 32) or if other criteria established by the board are met (does not apply to those attending secondary school).
- A pre-school pupil has the right to free school transport if the pupil's journey from home/daycare to pre-school is more than five kilometers (Basic Education Act § 32).
- The student's daily school trip to the nearby school designated by the municipality, including waiting times, may take no more than two and a half hours. If the student is 13 years old at the beginning of the school year, the school trip to the nearby school designated by the municipality may take no more than three hours (Basic Education Act § 32).
- The student council must be consulted before making decisions that significantly affect the status of students (Basic Education Act § 47 a).
-The student body is consulted before decisions affecting the students' status are made (Ukiolaki § 27).
- The working environment and conditions must be safe and healthy (Occupational Safety Act § 8).
Things to consider when mapping suitable spaces
The facilities must enable high-quality teaching and early childhood education in accordance with the curriculum.
When evaluating escape room solutions, what kind of activity is involved is taken into account. The assessment takes into account the age of the children and young people, the transport connections or the possibilities of organizing transport, and the fact that the activity to be moved remains as uniform as possible.
The same year classes of the school are not divided into different locations. The different year classes of the schools are divided into different locations as little as possible. The spaces should be uniform as much as possible, and transitions to other spaces should be avoided as much as possible.
The aim is to place transfer school facilities near schools/high schools in order to make use of their free capacity, e.g. for special class facilities. The implementation schedule and length of the diversion and the economic effects of the different alternatives are also taken into account when choosing an alternative.
The primary aim is to organize the escape rooms of daycare centers from their own planning area for early childhood education. At the beginning of an acute evacuation and in situations where no suitable space can be found in one's own planning area despite investigations, evacuation facilities can be arranged in another planning area.
The child's guardian transports the child to the day care: the aim is to organize the emergency room as close as possible to the day care without the need for multiple changes of public transport.
The primary aim is to organize the escape facilities of the schools from their own planning area. At the beginning of an acute evacuation and in situations where no suitable space can be found in one's own planning area despite investigations, evacuation facilities can be arranged in another planning area.
As for the upper secondary school, the evacuation facilities are mapped at the city level.
If it is not possible to indicate a suitable escape space from your own planning area, another space that is already well suited to the operation or a space that can be implemented with reasonable changes is used. If a space that is suitable for the operation or that can be implemented with reasonable changes cannot be found, temporary, standardized, transferable spaces can be acquired.
When choosing evacuation facilities, it must be ensured, if necessary by conducting tests, that the facilities are safe and healthy.
When choosing diversion facilities, the educational/educational, functional and financial effects of the diversion must be evaluated as far as possible.
Costs
In emergency situations, additional costs may consist of transportation costs for students/children in daycare/preschoolers, additional compensation according to OVTES that may be paid to principals/teachers, organization of meals and premises. If you move to premises that are already in use, the area of responsibility is released from the rental costs of the premises to be moved. If you move to new facilities or modules, the area of responsibility will pay for them according to the rental costs of the space to be moved. Imatran Toimitilat Oy is responsible for the immediate moving costs.
If, in acute evasion situations, unforeseen costs arise that could not have been avoided (e.g. school transportation and furniture costs), the welfare board can propose additional funding for additional costs arising from evasions to the city council and further for the council to decide.