Extreme life safety risk involves in high-rise building:FPAP

Chairman Fire Safety Commission Dr. Rizwan Naseer is addressing the 2nd Meeting of the Commission.

Lahore: The 2^nd meeting of Fire Safety Commission (FSC) established by the Green Bench of Honorable Lahore High Court was held at Rescue 1122’s Headquarters on Monday.

The meeting was convened by the Chairman FSC Dr. Rizwan Naseer and attended by Additional Secretary Local Government, Muazzam Ali Janjua, Deputy Director Housing Riaz Ahmad, Director Environment M. Tahir, Director Labour Anwar Zahoor Qazi, Deputy Director Civil Defence Shahid Pervaiz, Chairperson Pakistan Council of Architects and Planners Mazhar Munir, Association of Builders and Planners of Pakistan M. Arshad Ch, Pakistan Engineering Congress Secretary K.H Akhtar, Deputy Director Urban Unit Foad Saeed, Raza Ali Dada, Professor Dr. Ghulam Abbas Anjum, City and Town Planners, UET, Aslam Mughal, Arshad Mehmood and others.

The meeting started with the recitation of holy Quran. The Chairman Fire Safety Commission Dr. Rizwan Naseer, flanked by Director Administration Brigadier (r) Dr. Arshad Zia and Secretary Commission Rafay Alam, said that investigations reports of Baldia Town, Karachi, Fire in which over 300 people died, Kharak Nullah incident, in which 23 died, 16 injured, Aiwan-e-Mashriq Plaza Fire in which five died and 29 injured, Shoe Factory Bund Road in which 21 died and 13 injured and Koh-e-Noor TV Channel Fire and other major fires clearly point out on the need of implementation of fire safety codes given in the Building-bye laws.

The Secretary of the Commission Rafey Alam said the Fire Protection Association of Pakistan (FPAP) has recommended that there is extreme life safety risk in high-rise building due to the absence of appropriate fire exits. He said it may be pointed out that if appropriate exits had been provided in Karachi, Baldia Town Fire and Lahore LDA Plaza Fire, the loss of life would not have taken place. The absence of proper means of outlet from high-rise buildings is a threat to life of its occupants.

The Chairman endorsed the decisions taken in the meeting and said the recommendations of Fire Protection Association of Pakistan must be implemented to ensure life safety to the citizens living in high rise buildings. He also approved short term policy for high rise buildings and also proposed establishment of Building Control Authority for sustainable building-bye laws. The participants discussed that six main steps including external steel staircases, fire doors, pressurized external hydrants system, evacuation plan and emergency lighting system, installation of fire extinguishers and clear access and removal of obstructions can ensure life safety in high rise building. They also discussed the need of safety manager for maintenance of fire equipment, training of the occupants and drills.