Introduction:

In India, although there are many rules and regulations, codes and standards related to fire safety, these are seldom followed. Laxity in fire safety measures caused major fires in many buildings. A recent fire incident at a coaching centre in Surat resulted in the death of 22 students. Such a disturbing incident necessitates us to take a look at the fire safety aspects of the country and the lacunae therein.

Body:

Fire Accidents in India:

• According to National crime records bureau figures 17,700 Indians died and 48 people every day due to fire accidents in 2015.
• Of those who died, 62% were women.
• Maharashtra and Gujarat, the two most highly urbanised states, account for about 30% of the country’s fire accident deaths.
• According to India Risk Surveys 2018, outbreak of fire poses risks to business continuity and operations and ranks India at 3rd position in fire incidents, especially in Northern and Western regions of India.

Lacunae in Fire Safety in India:

• Violation of safety norms and lack of standardisation and regulation is a major cause of fire accidents, as large scale construction of false roofs in commercial buildings and multiplexes is against the national building construction code.
• High rise buildings are more prone to fire accidents as they lack an adequate in-built fire protection system that makes salvaging operations difficult.
• Poorly stored goods, even though they are not flammable, helps to spread fire and hinder fire fighters gain access to the seat of the fire or reduce the effectiveness of sprinkler systems.
• Unclear provisions of fire safety audit in terms of scope, objective, methodology and periodicity of a fire safety audit.
• Lack of adequate resources, preparedness and poor fire services fail to ensure fire safety cover to the population.
• Lack of awareness about the safety arrangements before purchasing or hiring a flat in an apartment or before starting an institution.
• Faulty Wiring: PUF (polyurethane foam) used for plastic insulation carries a high risk of accidental fire as most of the times it is exposed to electrical wiring which on becoming heated due to overloading or short circuit catches fire immediately.

Measures needed:

• Modernisation of Fire safety equipment: the government should provide financial support and assistance in augmenting and modernising the fire departments
• Proper designing of electrical fittings and regular maintenance of wiring (at least once in a year).
• Building awareness among citizens about fire prevention and protection measures by organising fire fighting workshop once in six months in localities/Mohallas/schools with the involvement of local councillors/elected representatives.
• Fire service departments should audit critical fire prone installations (like high rise buildings, multiplexes in congested areas) periodically (once in six months) and take appropriate actions against erring establishments.
• Proper demarcation of entry and exit points in crowded buildings, installation of fire fighting equipment and their regular maintenance, periodic renewal of No-objection certificates by building owners in order to ensure fire preparedness.

Way forward:

• Fire service is a state subject and has been included as municipal function in the XII schedule of the Constitution. The municipal corporations and local bodies are responsible for providing fire services in many states.
• All State governments should require mandatory compliance with such safety features for any institution handling patients or giving care.
• Certification of facilities through third-party audit should be made compulsory to eliminate conflicts of interest involving official agencies.
• The institutions should also be insured for the highest levels of public liability.
• At a broader level, governments must shed their indifference and work to make all spaces safe.
• In private, public or commercial buildings, official agencies tend to favour tokenism rather than high standards for the safety of occupants and visitors.
• They are ever-willing to “regularise” deviations in construction over time. It is time to fix responsibility for deadly accidents on a single official agency.