Tag Archive for: school security

School Facility Safety Checklist: Assessing the Safety & Security of School Buildings

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As a school facility manager, it’s important to perform a check of your school to make sure it’s a safe and secure environment for students and faculty. Performing a check of your facility is beneficial in that it will show you the strengths and weaknesses of the building, which if left unchecked, could compromise the safety and security of the building. Using this checklist, you can identify any problems with your facility that you can correct to ensure that the environment is safe and secure.

 

Checking the Exterior of Your School

It’s always good to start from the outside and work your way in. Taking a walk around the grounds can provide a great deal of insight into any issues that need to be corrected. Make sure:

  • All pathways and entrances are clear of debris and obstructions.

 

  • Fire hydrants are on site and easily accessible for emergencies.

 

  • Bus waiting areas are safe and secure and away from vehicle pathways.

 

  • Hiding places are eliminated or minimized along walkways.

 

  • Recreational and playground areas are protected by fencing.

 

  • Exterior lightings are vandal-resistant and provide adequate illumination on paths.

Assessing the Interior

After you’ve gone down the list and checked the exterior of the school, you’ll want to begin working your way inside to start determining any flaws with the interior of your school. You’ll want to ensure that:

  • All doorways are easily accessible and their locks are functioning properly.

 

  • Visitors pass through a screening area before granted access to the rest of the facility.

 

  • Wings and areas of the school can be readily secured.

 

  • Signs provide clear directions to designated areas.

 

  • High-value targets like computers, musical equipment, and chemicals are protected by locks and an alarm system.

 

  • Windows provide natural surveillance, as well as security when locked.

 

  • Smoke detectors are present and functional.

 

Checking the Restrooms & Locker Rooms

Assessing the bathrooms is important, because you need to check and see if there are any factors that are affecting the air quality. If left unchecked, poor air quality can lead to health complications like irritated eyes and noses, skin irritation, and even respiratory issues. You should check your bathrooms and locker rooms to see if:

  • Facilities are well lit and fixtures have vandal-proof covers.

 

  • Durable stalls and partitions are properly in place and ADA compliant and provide adequate privacy for occupants.

 

  • Restrooms and locker rooms can’t be locked from the outside.

 

  • Mold isn’t present on partitions, sinks, or walls.

 

  • No foul odors are present in bathroom or locker rooms.

 

  • Locker rooms and bathrooms have good mechanical ventilation.

 

  • Soap, toilet tissue, and paper towels are visibly accessible.

 

Was this checklist helpful? For more information, check out our blog article, Creating a Safe Learning Environment through Facility Maintenance and Management. 

Reducing Theft in Your School & Locker Rooms

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Thievery is a problem that occurs in every school, regardless of location. If you’re managing an educational facility, you’re surely aware of the reports of theft from lockers and locker rooms in your school. There are various ways that you can reduce theft in your school and locker rooms, but choosing the most effective route is important to reduce the risk of students or faculty losing personal belongings or valuables to an unknown perpetrator.

Beefing Up Security Can Reduce Theft in Your School

Many schools that need an action plan to reduce theft in their school and locker rooms tend to upgrade their security systems. This mainly includes cameras, strategically positioned in locker corridors. This can have two beneficial outcomes. The first being that the perpetrator will be caught in the act on camera. The other benefit is that it can actually ward off anyone from breaking into the locker because there are eyes watching. However, utilizing security cameras can be ineffective when it comes to theft in locker rooms.

There’s no legal way that security cameras can be placed in locker rooms because it would be an unlawful invasion of privacy. As a result, due to the lack of surveillance, the locker room turns into an open market where a person could get away with stealing personal belongings without getting caught. But, there are effective ways to reduce theft in locker rooms through innovative lockers.

Reducing Locker Room Theft Through Updating Lockers

While the security camera scenario does indeed have its pros and cons, there’s a better option available. If your school has the traditional metal lockers, it may be time for an upgrade. Metal lockers are susceptible to moisture, and when in use for many years, will begin to rust, and the integrity of the locker’s security can be compromised. Students will even use various methods to discover the weakness in the locker, which then provides easy access for theft.

Some schools have taken action against the weakness of their original lockers, and have replaced them with high-density polyethylene (HDPE) school lockers. HDPE is a solid plastic that’s proven to be highly durable, as it’s resistant to scratches, dents, and even graffiti. These HDPE lockers are a big step in combating theft in your schools.

HDPE Lockers: Secure & Durable

HDPE lockers have numerous benefits. Their highly durable construction prevents them from cracking, denting, and scratching. A thief would have a difficult time trying to break into the locker due to the solid construction and the built-in locks, and would probably deem the task unworthy of the effort.

Another major benefit of these lockers is that they can be used in locker rooms. They’re resistant to moisture and humidity, which is abundant in locker rooms. Mold won’t sprout on the lockers, resulting in higher air quality in your school. The moisture won’t affect the integrity of the lockers, so you can rest assured knowing your locker room has great security without compromising the privacy of the students.

 

Would you like to learn more about how HDPE lockers can benefit you and your school? Check out our Duralife Lockers Product Kit to learn more about how these durable lockers can help reduce theft in your school.