Fire-fighting tools useless without know-how - New Straits Times Online
New Straits Times Online, 6 November 2014
JOHOR BARU: OWNERS of factories are urged to educate their workers on fire safety, as a Johor Fire and Rescue Department survey has revealed that almost 80 per cent of factory workers in the state do not know how to use a fire extinguisher.
“It is useless having an extinguisher if one doesn’t know how to use it,” said state Fire and Rescue Department director Datuk Ghani Daud.
He said most factories had fire-fighting equipment as that was required by law, but it would be more effective if the workers were taught how to use them.
Ghani was speaking at a fire safety seminar attended by about 600 factory owners in the state.
He said the seminar was aimed at educating these owners on the importance of basic firefighting knowledge and safety measures at the workplace.
The seminar was held at Berjaya Waterfront Hotel, here.
The participants were taught how to safely store combustible items as well as the types of materials that were potential fire hazards.
They were also told about the Fire Fighting System and Fire Escape requirements prescribed by the Uniform Building bylaws for the issuance of a Fire Certification for business premises.
Buildings are required to house avenues for emergency evacuation and passive containment measures to ensure that fire does not spread.
They must also be equipped with the means to detect and extinguish fire, including intervention and access to firefighting and rescue parties.
Ghani said it was also the building owner’s responsibility to ensure that the workers know what steps to take in case of fire.
He said the department also conducted fire drills and courses for companies that wished to have their own firefighting team within the organisation.
Ghani also said the department’s statistics showed an increase in the number of fires reported in the state this year.
“The first 10 months of the year saw 457 cases of fire in houses, office premises and factories, compared with 351 cases reported in the whole of last year,” he said.
