Emergency Response Team-Villagio Disaster

Every organization having safety policies & procedures in place have an ERT team comperising of their own staff such as fire marshalls (group of team responsible to reach the place & activate the fire extinguishers), Area In Charge ( To search in his area all the rooms, toilets if anybody is left to evacuate), Safe Area In Charge ( The incharge of the safe room if that organization has it, usually been found in hospitals where bedridden patients are shifted to this room for the time being until external help comes), Incident controller ( Who is responsible for controlling the incident place), Site Controller (Responsible for the whole site and keeps info about the progress in this type of accident), Communication Officer (usually telephone operator announcing code red and co-ordinating with Civil defence, hospitals, emergency services etc.)...............
Usually ERT team is being chosen from the duty rota and made on weekly/monthly basis, all staff are trained several times and are informed about their responsibility during fire breaks.....so was Villagio Management was having during this time ? If yes then where were they..??..ok we leave this also.......
Was Villagio Management having a safety committee ??..let me explain their role as well..

SAFETY COMMITTEE & ITS ACTIVITIES

Safety committee shall be chaired by Safety Manager and members of the committee shall attend the meetings
Meeting shall he regularly held once in a month to review the safety aspect of the Plant and minutes of the meeting to be recorded and circulated to all members.
Safety Audit once in three months by internal and external party.

FUNCTIONS OF THE COMMITTEE

1. First and foremost thing is to promote safety awareness among employees.
2. To assess the effectiveness of safety program.
3. To receive suggestion and implement through HOD's
4. To study the accident trend and statistics in the building.
5. Carry out regular safety audits of the building.
6. Displaying of safety publicity posters inside building.
7. To investigate and submit incident reports to management about every accident.
8. Motivate work force to participate voluntarily in safety training and seminars.
9. To assist in observing the violation of safety rules in the campus.
10. To monitor, minor, major,& near miss accidents to take suitable corrective actions.

so where were the audit reports, the inspection reports and corrective action taken, they could not make out about the narrow passages, sprinklers not working, no exit door etc.etc..???? ok leave safety department also...but there are obligation from the occupier, employer, work men, management towards the health & safetuy of all and that is why these people are in trouble..

However we just can hope that this should be the last in Qatar and will open the eyes for everybody having obligation for above written and this will not be repeated..
Lastle it was nice to hear for my 5 year son that today in their school they practiced them for evacuating the building from nearest the exit door (in queue) so atleast some of them are learning the lesson..

Read more: http://www.qatarliving.com/node/3021768#ixzz1wSD1xJPm