Fire safety better than fire fighting
During the upcoming dry weather conditions, which are likely to prevail till June, fire experts in Hyderabad have urged people to be cautious and follow basic rules
Hyderabad: In the last few months, whether it is a commercial establishment or an apartment complex, Hyderabad has witnessed a large number of fire accidents that not only have cost lives but also have caused significant property damage. In the coming months, with the arrival of the summer season, similar kind of fire accidents are expected to rise, leading to more fatalities and loss of property.
During the upcoming dry weather conditions, which are likely to prevail till June, fire experts in Hyderabad have urged people to be cautious and follow basic rules, which can go a long way in preventing fire accidents.
To begin with, experts urge owners of commercial establishments and managements that are in-charge of residential welfare associations in Hyderabad to be wary of combustible materials, which helps fire spread rapidly.
Combustible materials like paper, cloth, wood, paints, LPG cylinders and plastic are usually stocked in buildings and they pose a great risk. “People carelessly dump unnecessary store paper and wood in their houses or offices although it can be disposed of without much effort. Such materials feed the fire, which in-turn leads to significant losses of lives and property. The foremost thing to do for the occupants of any property is to clean up all unnecessary combustible material and garbage kept within and outside the house,” advises Regional Fire Officer, V Papaiah.
The next simple thing that people can do before the onset of summer is to check for electrical switch boards and appliances in the buildings. This simple step goes a long way in preventing fire accidents caused due to overheating and short circuits, which are most common triggers that lead to fire accidents. Failure to do so will result in small sparks which ultimately lead to fire. “Annual checkup by certified electrical engineers preferably before the onset of summer is advisable,” Papaiah points out.
These days, many multi-storied buildings have a high fire load, which means there is a lot of wooden material in the form of furniture, furnishings and other inflammable material present. Fire loads are usually measured as the weight of combustible material that is present per square foot of the floor space. Essentially, the fire loads establishes the potential severity in case a fire incident happens in an apartment.
To maintain a balance and nullify the fire load, it is important to have firefighting equipment in place. All the building floors should have firefighting equipment and in the run up to the summer, fire extinguishers, heat detectors, fire hydrant pipeline and other equipment should be thoroughly examined so that they are functional when they are needed the most, officials say.
Fire is also caused by carelessly throwing cigarette butts, especially in offices, stores and open parking areas where garbage is littered. To prevent it, one should not allow anyone to smoke cigarettes within the offices or establishments and designate an area for it.
Also, one should see that mounds of garbage is cleared from the premises and vicinities in gated villas communities, farm houses, companies and big offices as a carelessly thrown cigarette butt could cause fire unexpectedly and spread to the neighbouring premises.
Basic training in fire fighting should be mandatory for security personnel in the establishments as they play a vital role in containing fire at the initial stage. Otherwise, the building owners can ask the Fire Department personnel to visit the buildings, and show and explain to them the basics of firefighting to be done before the fire personnel reach the spot. This apart, the fire officials suggest that staircases should be cleared off furniture, paper or other blockages, which will facilitate quick exit of people in case of a fire mishap.
