Lessons Learnt
We all have some lessons to learn from yesterday’s mishap but before we talk about them, let’s understand what fire fighting methods are generally available in commercial installations these days. This note is to give a brush-up to people on how to respond in a fire break-out situation.
Based on the fuel, fire can classified as Class A, B, C or D and for each type of fire, suitable extinguishing agents are specified. Class A fire is most common which is caused by burning of wood, cloth and paper for which water is a good extinguisher. DO NOT use water for other classes of fire else it could be more damaging. Class B fires are those which happen due to flammable liquids, oils and grease etc. Class C fires are those involving live electrical equipment and class D fires involve burning of metals like sodium, potassium and magnesium. Compressed carbon dioxide and dry powder extinguishers can be used for such fires. These fire extinguishing agents are identified and kept in each building at various locations.
A sprinkler system, which is usually a part of overhead piping, get activated by heat of the fire, are connected to automatic water supplies. They are considered to be 100% effective but in Villagio, it was said to be ineffective due to some reason. Sprinkler systems are also supervised electrically from a central station and alarms are automatically transmitted to the fire department whenever the sprinkler operates or a valve in the sprinkler system closes for any reason. This is to reinforce the water pressure by the fire fighting unit in case the pressure falls in the system. I feel all commercial complexes should have this interface.
Many high-rise and large buildings have internal Standpipe Systems in which a long fire-water hose is to be used by the occupants of the building to control the fire till the fire department arrives. This is meant to be used by trained occupants in the building, so it’s essential that all adult occupants are trained by the authorities to operate the hose to limit the damage.
Smoke and heat detection systems transmit alarms whenever they are activated but most often, a possible snag in the system doesn’t get noticed by the building management until the fire breaks out. It’s required that the detection system be checked and activated weekly at a specified time. Also, interfacing the alarm electrically with the nearest fire-station for notification would be a good idea.
At home or office, if a fire is detected in its initial stage, when the sprinkler is not yet active, it is best to use the solid carbon dioxide or the dry powder extinguisher on it. Such cylinders are placed at various locations in each apartment and shop. They are all suitable for A, B and C types of fire. You have to snap the plastic cord with your fingers, pull out the safety pin in the lever, lift the cylinder with your left hand, press the lever and with your right hand direct the hose towards the fire in a weaving motion keeping the hose at least about two meters away from the flame. Everyone should first get him/herself aware of this type of domestic fire extinguishers before using it.
The above is especially useful for housewives who work at home when no one is around.
Now, looking at what happened yesterday, it’s mainly due to suffocation or smoke inhalation that so many people died of this fire break-out. If you try to envisage Gympanzee’s entrance between two shops, you will find it a bit constricted with the stairs going up to the nursery with no other entrance or emergency exit. Moreover, it seems the staff was not adequately trained how to respond to a fire break-out.
These are some of the lessons I have learnt yesterday I would like to share…
- Avoid going or sending your children to places which have constricted entrance with no emergency exits. Raise your concern to authorities if the layout doesn’t have at least two exits and ventilator.
- If you hear a fire alarm, LEAVE from there without thinking further…you won’t lose anything if you leave but could lose your life otherwise.
- Don’t believe others when they say it could be a false fire alarm. Force others to leave as well.
- In case there is a fire at home or at your office, don’t panic.
- Raise an alarm, either by shouting and alerting others or by breaking the fire alarm glass.
- Remove children, disabled or sleeping persons from the location.
- If the fire is small, you feel confident and know how to operate the Dry Powder type extinguisher, use it. Else, do not go near the fire and come out of the place as soon as possible.
- Call 999 and look for any person who knows how to operate the Dry Powder type extinguisher.
- If Dry Powder is not able to put out the fire, look for few more people who are trained to operate the standpipe hose (Make sure the fire is class A).
- If it is not possible to use the standpipe hose, evacuate the building.
- Make sure you know the emergency exit door of any building you frequently visit.
Thanks to you as well KR, as you rightly said before that safety is everybody's business, I would say that safety is everybody responsibilities in a company right from the director to a cleaning staff and hence there is plenty of scope to improve on safety..hope companies will take necessary steps to stop these for ever.
ajit79, Thanks for your contribution to this thread..indeed your stuff was some learning for me too..
Indeed useful info from KR....however
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..
thks KR
Safety is everybody's business..
The state needs to start looking into the legislations first for their adequacy regarding safety of commercial establishments. If the same are not adequate, new legislations have to be brought in, else work has to be done to ensure their implementation.
State Approval of layout designs is probably the first step and any changes or modifications to the designs in the later stages should also go through the same approval process.
thx for sharin
thanks for sharing the information
drsam,
You can use the fire extinguisher and can put it back as long as the pressure gauge needle is in the green zone. If it goes to the red zone, this means the pressure is less and you need to replace it. In the latter case, tell your real estate management to replace it. Ideally, they should check it on a regular basis. If the needle is in the green zone, just put back the safety pin in its place and hang it at the same place.
For the fire alarm glass, please get it repaired through your house owner/real estate management. They will come and re-set it again with a new glass. If the glass is already broken, it may not set-off an alarm if you try to activate it again.
no they're not mandi. i tried them just out of curiosity more than a year ago!
DK, i have some questions:
- if out of curiosity i want to try my home fire extinguisher, can i just put it back? will it still work or i have to have it filled back/pressurised/with the snap plastic replaced? is there a fine if a fire extinguisher has been used and not resealed?
- if the fire alarm glass is already broken in my apartement, can i repair it on my own (not me, but pay to do it), or i must contact fire brigade or a specialised team to do it?
Thank you. I tell you one thing, I will never go to the cinema at City Center. The entrance is right in the middle of all those ovens, grills and fryers and God knows where the emergency exits go - if indeed they re unblocked.
Mandi
priceless info. Many thx for sharing.
DK=KR always up to the expectations if not more.
thx again
Hopefully, compliance by the premise management & to put better effort in safety education & training,, Bad management dnt wanna spent QR for training, they even not hire safety personnel & if thy hired, it s the incompetence 1 due to save QR. When we came from country that familiar with fire & safety procedure. We will be surprise with the situation here. Lot to be done! safety first!
FA, I am not a safety inspector..I am a welding engineer in the Oil and Gas sector. The first thing we need to know in a gas field is to save ourselves from hydrogen sulphide leaks and fire break-outs. When we go offshore, we have to brush-up our fire fighting knowledge that I have done so many times.
I looked at my notes and jotted down whatever made sense to me..
KR, i was expecting this kind of a Informative Thread from YOU.
You Being a Safety Inspector, tried your best to play a Useful Part in Highlighting the Important Points....
TFS.....
And I hope everyone will take the time and read this beneficial post. Excellent lessons and reminders.
Fathima, We can't bring the dead back...but we can learn some lessons from this accident to save ourselves and our dear ones in the future.
This is by far one of the most informative and effectual posts surrounding yesterdays mournful disaster.A heartfelt thank you from a very concerned and unsettled mom!