The Hindu 30.08.2009
Buildings lacking in fire-fighting gear
Deepa H Ramakrishnan
| Loose wires, stacking of inflammables are among the problems, says R. Natraj |
— Photo: M.Karunakaran 
Making Assessment: Professional safety auditor G.N. Venkatasubramaniam (centre) with Fire and Rescue Service personnel at an electrical godown in north Chennai on Friday.
CHENNAI: Several buildings, including banks, jewellery shops, godowns and multi-storey complexes, in the city do not have the necessary fire-fighting equipment, according to the Department of Fire and Rescue Services.
Speaking to The Hindu on Saturday, Director-General of Police and Director, Fire and Rescue Services, R. Natraj said that loose wires, stacking of inflammable things, blocking emergency exits and storing goods at passageways were some of the problems that teams identified during fire audits being conducted.
On Saturday, a team of officials in north Chennai visited cracker shops and greeting-card stores. “We found that the cloth warehouses on Godown Street had not implemented any safety measure. They are cramped for space and exits are blocked. In some places, wires are just plugged into switch boards to draw power. We have advised them to install safety equipment. Even one spark could lead to major fires,” said a senior officer who was part of the fire safety audit team.
Teams consisting of two assistant divisional fire officers and one fire station officer visited over 278 major establishments. Chemical manufacturers and sellers on Nainiappa Naicken Street too did not have any safety measures.
Professional safety auditor G.N. Venkatasubramaniam, who went along with the personnel to north Chennai, said he asked them to look for possible points that could catch fire. Places where heat is generated from lighting, loose wires and old wiring could all cause sparks and in chemical warehouses this could lead to fire accidents, he said.
In Chennai south, over 900 establishments were inspected in Vadapalani, T. Nagar, Adyar and Mylapore. “Some shops had systems but they were not in good condition. In many cases, the employees do not know how to operate extinguishers and in others there is no periodical maintenance of the equipment,” said another officer.
“In a bank, we found documents being stacked up in an unsafe manner. Our teams have given suggestions to those who do not have proper fire safety measures and will be doing a re-check,” Mr. Natraj said.
He said that the idea of the audit was prevention. “Next year, they [shops and other establishments] have to get fire licences and we are conducting this checking as a precursor to that.”
