KARACHI:Business leaders representing different trade bodies emphasized on making robust regulations, their strict implementation and in case of non-compliance they recommended strict legal action against the factory owners and the concerned government agencies to avoid fires in industrial and commercial entities in future.
They called for strengthening of the building codes approved by Pakistan Engineering Council to ensure safety of life and property, and Sindh Building Control Authority will have to fulfill its due responsibility. In most industrial units, mandatory open area to be left with structure of a factory was covered/constructed that caused a big hurdle in fire fighting as it denied access to fire tenders. This gross violation was not possible without support from officials of the concerned government agencies/departments of Sindh Government.
Two fire tenders were given to each industrial estate of the city out of fifty given by the Federal Government on the directives of Prime Minister Imran Khan. But, they regretted, the fire tenders at these seven town industrial estates were just of no use for want of trained drivers and other fire fighting staff to be provided by Sindh Government.
They demanded for an efficiently managed chain of hydrants in the city especially in the industrial estates and at commercial centers so that fires could easily and quickly be doused. In the most reported cases, it took long hours to overcome blazes for non-availability of water to fire tenders at reasonable distance, and those were seen running here and there in search of it. In the olden days, there were many hydrants along the main roads and spots of the city which helped very much in fighting fires.
With the spread of residential, commercial and industrial areas of the city, hydrants network required expansion but instead it has almost disappeared.
Rather the number of illegal hydrants was on increase which were run by mafia earning big amounts in conveyance with the concerned government agencies, they alleged.
They pointed out that Sindh Industries Department had not been fulfilling its due responsibility to support industries in the province especially in Karachi where huge number of industries were located. Industrial management companies under this department like SITE Limited had failed even to arrange the required number of fire tenders to ensure safety of industries at seven industrial zones of the city.
Absence of proper roads and depilated existing ones, and destroyed sewerage system in industrial zones also created problems in fire fighting operations.
The main business leaders interviewed by reporter included President, Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Mian Nasser Hayatt Maggo, former vice president FPCCI and In-charge of WTO Cell at FPCCI’s Headquarters , Engr.M.A.Jabbar, President , Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Shariq Ahmed Vohra, Patron-in-Chief of SITE Association of Industry, former president KCCI and former chairman Sindh Investment Board, Muhammad Zubair Motiwala, Chairman Pakistan Apparel Forum and former president SAI, Muhammed Jawed Bilwani and President, Korangi Association of Trade and Industry, Saleem-uz-Zaman.
President, Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Mian Nasser Hayatt Maggo demanded that government should constitute a high-powered body comprising representatives of FPCCI, PEC, Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority, SBCA and industrial estates to revise and issue new national codes for construction of buildings for industrial operations by categorizing high, medium and low risk industrial activities.
He said after a long exercise under the supervision of experts, the government of Pakistan had notified “ Building Code of Pakistan — Fire Safety Provisions 2016.” It contained useful knowledge that could be readily employed by provincial governments and local agencies.
Mian Nasser Hayatt Maggo said the most building regulations enforced in our cities laid down a basic framework for fighting fires in the building design. The documents also focused on the provision of standpipes, automatic sprinkler systems, manual fire-extinguishing equipment, fire alarms, signal stations, overhead water tanks, protected shafts, fire-resistant doors, etc. Full enforcement was needed.
He said there were different categories of industries; some likely to have more chances of fire due to short circuit. There must be stringent building codes which must be strictly implemented.
Factories should be periodically inspected to check any change made in drawings of the buildings approved by the respective government agencies including SBCA and industrials zones management companies
like SITE Limited. The change/alteration might lead to breach of safety provisions including emergency exits.
FPCCI’s former vice president and in-charge WTO Cell at FPCCI, Engr. M.A. Jabbar said it had been noted that many factories were operating in non-industrial areas which must not be allowed.
The District Administration and the police be assigned to check such illegal operations. It is also noted that in most of the fire cases short circuit was the major cause, for which Pakistan Standard Quality Control Authority should play its role in checking licenses of manufacturers of protective electrical equipment. Input-based electrical equipment be used in industries to reduce fire incidents originating from low quality electrical equipment and protective equipment.
He said a checklist-based evaluation of existing building stock could help identify inappropriately constructed buildings for the purpose of retrofitting.
Specialized teams could be mobilized to design and facilitate these tasks.
“The cooperation of all stakeholders was necessary. Trade and industrial bodies, political parties, building control authorities, labour unions, technical universities and the media would have to work together,” he emphasized.
He said complex urban areas such as Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi had many types of buildings that required safety and security audits through the collaboration of state agencies, professionals and even ordinary people.
President, Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Shariq Ahmed Vohra said the cases of fire had become very common in the commercial and industrial areas of the city. Although the causes of such high frequency and damaging infernos were diverse, yet it was believed that the foremost reason was blatant negligence on part of the governments, municipal authorities, business owners, naive staff and the workers, and even the general public.
Most of the fire incidents occurred due to mishandling of products and appliances, which was amplified by the fact that the authorities had not fulfilled their responsibility of ensuring the availability of fire safety features in commercial and industrial areas. However, there appeared to be no effective system of monitoring and implementing these laws.
As a result, these regulations were seen as mere guidelines due to which many industrial and commercial units were not fully capable or well-equipped to douse fires within their premises. In most cases, there were not even any fire exits in the buildings while the staff was not trained in ensuring suspension of electricity or other safety protocols to prevent the spread of fire.
This lack of training and inexperience caused panic which aggravated the situation. Once the local civic agencies did arrive, they were either poorly equipped, or they themselves lacked the training to douse efficiently.
Unfortunately, industrial concerns tend to avoid investment in fire and safety equipment and procedures. Many industries did not even had the mandatory preventive measures in place; putting the precious lives of labor and valuable machinery at stake.This in turn could be attributed to lack of implementation and disregard for relevant safety laws.
He cited the fire incident of Dec. 05, 2016 at Regent Plaza Hotel taking 12 lives. Initial investigations revealed that no proper fire extinguishing system, no emergency exits, and not even smoke detecting emergency alarm system were in working condition at such a sensitive commercial place.
The majority of the workforce in the country was illiterate and not trained in occupational health and safety. Barely a fraction of the buildings in Karachi had proper planning for fire exits, which is a very serious problem that results in preventable loss of life in a crisis situation.
With the fast-paced development of the city, the number of multistory buildings was also increasing and hence new buildings must be strictly checked for proper fire exits.
Shariq Vohra pointed out that illegal constructions and encroachments also posed a serious risk of fire eruption. Apart from this, the general public needs to be made aware of their civic responsibility of giving way to the fire tenders and facilitate in overcoming fires, instead of crowding.
In dense industrial or commercial areas of the city, there should be a designated vehicle with ability to partially handle any emergency till the relevant authorities arrive the scene.
KCCI President mentioned that as firefighting essentially was the local government’s responsibility, municipalities in cities and towns could build and update a database related to fire prevention.
Building information parameters, especially related to safety, was must. Existing building by-laws and regulations should be revisited. Most of these had provisions for safety that only required to be effectively applied.
Patron-in-Chief of SITE Association of Industry and former president KCCI, Muhammed Zubair Motiwala questioned the less number fire fighters for this most populous city of the country, which was also an international economic hub. The service of Sindh Fire Fighting Department was very poor; trained drivers and other staff was needed for fire tenders. The fire tenders here did not reach fire sites in time.
The senior business leader demanded that the industrialists should be protected from alleged undue pressure of the police after fire incidents at the factories or commercial units.
Chairman, Pakistan Apparel Forum, Muhammed Jawed Bilwani was of the view that primarily Sindh Government was responsible for fires incidents in industrial and commercial units as there was no efficient regulations framework or required monitoring of factories structures and the premises by the concerned government agencies.
In post independence days, he recalled, there were many hydrants at main roads of the city, which ensured availability of water to fire tenders and helped in quick dousing of fires. As per rules, it was mandatory to leave good portion of a factory plot as open area, which in most cases had been violated and brought under structures in conveyance with the respective agencies. That blocked entry of fire tenders in case of fire.
He said Karachi got fifty fire tenders from the Central Government on the directives of Prime Minister Imran Khan—of these two tenders each were given to seven town industrial zones of the city. However, he regretted, trained drivers and other fire fighting staff to be provided by Sindh Government was awaited.
He said the credit for the fifty fire tenders went to Sindh Governor Imran Ismail who struggled for in response to the demand of the trade and industrial community of this mega city which housed seven town industrial zones with thousands industrial and trading units at each besides a big number of cottage and medium size industries scattered in different areas.
Bilwani said industries also must be made responsible for establishing their own fire fighting systems along with trained staff.
He claimed that seventy percent of the exports industry had their own fire tenders but non-availability of water rendered them useless.
President, Korangi Association of Trade and Industry, Saleem-uz-Zaman also stressed that at first it was responsibility of industries to have their own fire fighting system and the staff.
He said there were 1.5 million cottage industries in the city. A cottage industry could not afford to start operations at a costly industrial plot with hi-fi structures. However, they must ensure the safety of life of the workers.
“ Cottage industries are recognized in the world as the backbone of an economy and can not be closed on pretext of safety issues. But there must be proper safety regulations in place,” he asserted.