There are times when I really give up hope of opposition parties in the Scottish Parliament. One of these is the ruckus beyond the school gates (“Ministers accused of ‘rewriting history’ after denying plan to close classrooms,” The Herald, February 9). It’s been over 20 years since I last designed a high school, so it’s new to me that classroom doors are fire doors, at least according to Douglas Ross. A quick check of the current building regulations reveals that there is no such requirement.
Equally surprising is the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service’s belief that classroom doors should be fire doors to protect classroom students from a fire in the outer corridor. This seems to suggest a new philosophy of “stay in place” if the fire alarm goes off, rather than the norm to encourage immediate evacuation of students and staff. If it protects the students in the hallway from a source of fire in the classroom, there are already fire doors that will.
Education Minister Shirley-Anne Somerville explained in her letter to the Holyrood committee that one option for improving ventilation is to undermine the doors. It’s a trade-off, but I’ve seen it made in some situations where more airflow is required due to an unexpected problem. It is therefore an inexpensive way to solve this problem, subject to the approval of the door manufacturer that the door is allowed without sacrificing its performance. Normally the recommended maximum value is a space of 10 mm.
Another suggested option was to install mechanical exhaust fans. But if the windows are closed (as is usually the case in winter), you will need an alternate air source to maintain an adequate air exchange rate. That’s why you’ll have to break down the door.
Essentially, this is a government intervention to mitigate the inability of many municipalities to install adequate ventilation by replacing the aging schools under their control. Most of these schools have been built in the past 30 years. Meanwhile, the Scottish Futures Foundation has released performance monitoring reports from these schools. A common feature in these reports is that naturally ventilated rooms do not perform as expected.
School design guidelines issued by the then Scottish administrator made it clear that natural ventilation had to be integrated with mechanical ventilation to compensate for overheating issues in the summer and to keep windows closed during the day. Extremely cold in the winter. However, this direction does not appear to have been followed, hence the current issue. Covid-19 has simply highlighted these shortages of supply by local authorities. Yet instead of discussing options relating to this new issue, all we see every day are misinformed political points from the opposition MSPs.
Robert Menzies, Falkirk.
WHAT HAPPENED TO OUR ENGINEERS?
In September 2018, you first reported the possible delay of two new £ 97 million Ferguson Marine ferries. It was suggested that cost overruns would be high and there would be a two year delay in delivery. The latest estimated cost is £ 300 million.
Since then, there has been a rapid decline in the millions of public money spent on the new administration. The expert who would fix it all walked away with about £ 2 million; The president and another non-executive director will leave soon.
The latest news (possibly 900) of electric cables must have been ripped from the hull because they were deemed too short (“Rage for short wires questions ferry delivery,” The Herald, February 11).
The prime minister says this problem arose between late 2018 and early 2019, before nationalization. It appears that when the default due diligence was carried out prior to nationalization, there was no problem of this magnitude for political reasons. Even now there is a surprising lack of clarity. As expected, although we were promised “lessons to learn”, we did not feel dizzy.
As a nation, are we no longer able to complete large public projects on time and within budget? I am identifying the main problems with the Scottish Parliament Building, Edinburgh Trams, Edinburgh Hospital for Sick Children, Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.
We seem to have lost our ability to provide adequate training to engineers of the caliber. We may never again benefit from John Brown’s John Rannie, Lithgows’ Ross Belch or the brilliant Irish manager who led Fairfield for so many years.
Robin Johnston, Newton Mearns.
SOLUTION SOLUTIONS, THEN GEORGE SQUARE
When I read the article about the changes in George Square (“Cars, Statues, Seats, Green Spaces? Seeing Views in George Square,” The Herald, February 11), I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
I admit I don’t live in Glasgow but I drive in Glasgow.
Spending millions to rearrange the statues as the pits widen, deepen and multiply is like moving the Titanic’s loungers.
After all the potholes have been repaired, among other things, take a look at George Square, but not before.
George Smith, Clyde Bank.
THE MAN WITH MODELS
JUST to break the record, Sir Alexander Fleming was not born at Lochfield Farm (Letters, February 11), it was Alexander Fleming who was born there. On a more serious note, the letter prompted me to re-read this humble man’s contribution to human health. As we approach the centennial of his discovery in 2028, I sincerely hope The Herald and others mark the life and extraordinary work of this man who changed history.
Alastair Clark, Stranraer.
MARRIAGE LINES
Note the insightful remarks by Thelma Edward (Letters, February 11) on the pitfalls of Mao Tse-tung’s “culture of marital intervention”, with reference to the Cultural Revolution and perhaps the challenges facing our partially besieged Prime Minister, but close to domestic harmony. I do. In the foreground, I am happy to reply with “Behind every successful man there is often a surprised woman”.
R. Russell Smith, Larg.
Source: Herald Scotland
Smith Charles is a talented entertainment journalist and author at The Nation View. He has a passion for all things entertainment and writes about the latest movies, TV shows, music, and celebrity news. He’s known for his in-depth interviews with actors, musicians, and other industry figures, and his ability to provide unique perspectives on the entertainment industry.
