IN CONTEXT
Working towards a culture
of safety
Nepal is a multi-hazard state. Many development
organisations and the MoE and MoPW have spent more
than two decades educating the Nepalese people
about the inherent dangers of their homeland. Because
of annual awareness exercises that are maintained
with multilateral coordination, the people of Nepal have
begun to invest their own money and resources into
retrofitting projects. In Nepal, the government provides
anywhere from 40 to 75 percent of school retrofit funds.
The rest is up to community education programs and
their ability to collect community contributions.
In regions where private and government engineering
capacity is not sufficient, community assets supplement
the MoE’s efforts to complete projects. Nepal’s MoE
along with the NGO National Society for Engineering
Technology (NSET) have trained masons, bar benders,
engineers and architects in hazard-resistant design
and construction. At the same time, they have exposed
school staff, parents, students and other community
stakeholders to basic disaster risk reduction principles.
They hold shake table demonstrations, bring engineers
to schools and celebrate Earthquake Safety Day.
Key considerations for the Post-Construction Stage
How will the safety of the school be maintained through years of operation?
Safety
School staff may want to make substantial changes to the safer school years, even decades after
construction. Some changes, such as adding classrooms, removing walls or adding doors and
windows, may affect the structural integrity of the building. User manuals and maintenance plans
can help clarify which changes require the approval of qualified engineers and what ongoing
maintenance is needed to preserve the safety of the school.
What special events, curriculum and committees can be developed to highlight the school
site as an example of safer school construction?
A safe school should remain a permanent teaching tool for safe construction and disaster risk
reduction in the community.
What training or support does the community need to execute routine maintenance?
Capacity
building
The staff charged with routine school maintenance may not have been part of school
construction. They will need to be trained in the hazard-resistant features of the school so they
understand how best to maintain them. Maintenance schedules can help automate routine
activities.
What training or support does the community need to conduct non-structural mitigation?
In earthquake zones, school staff and students should secure non-structural hazards – heavy
furniture, flammable materials, and important equipment that could fall, break or injure occupants
during earthquakes. In flood zones, evacuation plans should include securing loose items,
covering windows, bracing doors and elevating education material that could be damaged in
floodwaters.
Agencies implementing community-based school construction should make a public commitment
to safer school construction. This requires a regular process of evaluation and donor education.
Lessons learnt should be shared and internal capacity should be built.
Sustainability
What agreements and funding are in place for school maintenance, use and alteration?
A safe school can easily become an unsafe one through lack of maintenance or dangerous
alterations. While maintenance is a routine aspect of operations, without a sufficient funding
stream, it will be postponed and the school will slip into disrepair. At completion, stakeholders
should draft maintenance and user manuals. They should also establish roles, responsibilities
and funding for routine maintenance and safe building alteration.
SECTION III: POST-CONSTRUCTION
How will all stakeholders reflect on, share and build on good practice and lessons learnt?
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