Few things are as terrifying as an out-of-control fire, and despite all the advances in technology and literal hundreds of regulations covering every possible aspect of fire prevention, every so often we are left horrified and powerless when a fire that could have been prevented, turns into a consuming inferno.
This is exactly what happened Friday morning at Charlotte Maxeke Hospital in Johannesburg, when a fire that allegedly started in the PPE storage room quickly turned into a life-threatening fire emergency that caused nearly 700 people to be evacuated.
Firefighters battled the entire day on Friday and managed to subdue the Blaze by the afternoon, but before long the fire was back in Full Force and by Saturday morning the third floor of the hospital collapsed.
An official stated that face masks packed in the storeroom probably provided embers with the necessary fuel to turn into raging flames. The question is should it even be possible, with all the regulations in place and fail safes for every situation.
The fact is that if a building complies with the SANS 10400 Fire Prevention Act, without fault, a fire emergency such as the one at Charlotte Maxeke Hospital Isn't possible, regulations should be applied wherever possible.
Since no one can predict such emergencies, preventative measures and systems must be subject to inspections and maintenance on a regular basis.
The SANS 10400 Fire Prevention Act is mainly concerned with the need for all buildings to be equipped designed and constructed in such a way that:
● the people using the building will be protected – including persons with disabilities. ● the intensity and the spread of fire to other buildings will be minimized. ● sufficient stability will be retained so that such a building will not endanger any other buildings and multi-story buildings won't suffer structural damage. ● the generation and spread of smoke will be minimized or controlled to the greatest extent possible. ● adequate means of access and equipment for detecting, fighting, controlling and extinguishing such fire, is provided.
In order for these goals to be achieved, a building has to comply with the SANS 10400 Part T standard. Once local authorities have deemed a building up to standard the Act is satisfied.
Photo Credit: ABC News, IOL, EWN, News 24, Jacaranda FM
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