Steps to keep our homes safe from fire

Lack of awareness and lack of action even when there is awareness are public enemies number one when it comes to fire safety and prevention.

The root cause of most fire mishaps in the country is ourselves, because we do not take fire safety seriously.

But just three simple steps can make a difference in saving lives and property and to prevent the fatal fire tragedies we have been hearing more of lately, including the Grenfell Tower in London that claimed 80 lives and the tahfiz school fire here in Kuala Lumpur that killed 21 pupils and two wardens.

“Fire burns and affects everybody. It doesn’t matter if you are rich or poor; Malay, Chinese or Indian; young or old — that is a burning fact.

“But people continue to have low awareness and take no action with regards to fire safety,” said Architect Centre Sdn Bhd accredited architect and trainer Anthony Lee Tee during his talk entitled “Burning facts you cannot ignore!” at the EdgeProp.my Symposium 2017 “Is your home a Fire hazard?”

 “Even if people are aware of the importance of fire safety, they remain ‘blur blur’ and take no action. How long are we going to be like this?” Lee asked the audience who attended the half-day symposium on Oct 14.

* Urgent need to spread fire-safety knowledge
* Is your building a death trap?
* Are we living dangerously?
* The cost of fires
* Electricity — friend or foe?
* Burning questions
* Concerns over enforcement on fire safety regulations

The event was organised by EdgeProp.my. Gamuda Land was the presenting sponsor while Nippon Paint Malaysia was the supporting sponsor. It was also supported by The Edge Malaysia.

“I’m happy to see quite a large crowd here today, but I think whenever we speak about fire safety, we don’t quite get the same kind of attraction as those ‘make money’ property investment talks, which discuss where we can invest next.

“Buying a property is probably the most expensive thing you will ever spend on in your life, and yet you don’t protect it? It is like driving your car with bald tyres or without seat belts. Yeah, it still runs, but what happens when you get into an accident?” Lee continued.

Hence, he urged everyone to take action with these three simple steps:

1. Establish condition

2. Prioritise

3. MRR (maintain, repair and replace) programme

Lee said one must first identify the unsafe aspects and areas in the building that are in dire need of improvement. “First of all, we need to establish the condition of your property — is it safe or unsafe, and what is unsafe? Some buildings are born sick. As mentioned by the speakers today, there are so many things that could have already gone wrong in the first place, including the design and construction of the building as well as the fire-fighting system,” he said.

“Like humans, buildings get sick and they need TLC — tender loving care. They need proper maintenance and this would require awareness and action. So start your action,” Lee urged.

Once the problem areas have been identified, start to address the most urgent and important issues — those that will harm or kill must take priority, while continuing with the maintenance of the building. Indeed, the MRR — maintain, repair and replace — programme is a crucial part of ensuring the safety of a building.

“There are different people here today — property managers, developers, investors, contractors and people who are interested in fire safety — all of us will have an action plan depending on our expertise and the direction that we want to go forward. We need to take action,” he said.

Lee reminded the audience that one shouldn’t focus solely on their homes but also the places where they or their family spend a lot of time in such as kindergartens, workers’ quarters, boarding schools, retirement homes and even home away from home such as Airbnb and other home-sharing or serviced apartment units.

 Many also do not realise the fire hazards some property developments pose. Among the high-risk groups, for instance, are high-rise buildings and mixed developments, which are rising in number.

The fire hazards and barriers to fire safety in a building include security grilles, locked fire escapes, faulty fire-fighting equipment, faulty sprinklers and smoke detectors, broken water hydrants, water seepage into the electrical wiring or circuit and shoddy electrical works.

In fact, according to Lee, shoddy electrical work is one of the leading causes of fire incidents in the country. There were over 800 cases of electrocution reported in the country in the period of 2002 to 2015 with more than half of the victims killed. The states with the highest incidents are Sabah, Selangor and Penang.

Many would also think that a building with a fire certificate is safe, but Lee said this is a misconception.

“This is because it only deals with the fire services and does not include electrical and other dangers that will cause fire in your property,” he explained.

In addition, many buildings are believed to be operating without a fire certificate, which is issued yearly by the Fire and Rescue Department Malaysia to building owners who have complied with their fire safety requirements.

Besides addressing safety issues in a property, an individual’s dangerous habits can also put his or her life in danger. Lee cited the habit of people charging their mobile phones beside their beds overnight, which could pose a fire hazard as the phone may be overcharged and explode.

“Change must come from within and we really need to drive this home. If not, fire safety is just a slogan.

“I also believe we must start with our young ones. If you see the state of our kindergartens and schools today, our children are being taught in and exposed to environments that are unsafe. So when they grow up, they would think that it is the norm — so we have to change that norm,” he concluded.

This story first appeared in EdgeProp.my pullout on Oct 20, 2017. Download EdgeProp.my pullout here for free.