Audit reveals neglect of fire safety in hospitals in Ernakulam

The fire safety audit was carried out based on directions by the State government in the wake of the devastating fire at AMRI hospital in Kolkata in December last year.

A fire safety audit conducted by the Department of Fire and Rescue Services has found that over 95 per cent of the private hospitals in the city failed to comply with fire safety norms.

The inspection was carried out in nearly 20 hospitals in the city limit of the Ernakulam Division of the Fire and Rescue Services department over the last two months. Only three hospitals were found complying with the norms stipulated by the National Building Code. Notices have been served to the remaining hospitals to step up fire preparedness immediately.

The fire safety audit was carried out based on directions by the State government in the wake of the devastating fire at AMRI hospital in Kolkata in December last year.

Senior officials involved in the process told

The Hindu that the hospitals were found using the underground storage tanks (earmarked for fire protection) for secondary purposes. The department has directed a leading hospital in Edappally to increase the capacity of the storage tank to be used in an emergency.

According to the rules, buildings having a height between 24 and 30 metres should have an underground storage tank with a capacity of 1.5 lakh litres and an overhead tank with 20,000 litre capacity. For buildings below 24 metre height, the corresponding capacity levels include 1 lakh and 20, 000 litres. The hospital was earlier pulled up for not even applying for a no-objection certificate from the fire department.

Investigations found that the automatic alarm system in most of the hospitals was not working. The automatic fire sprinkler system was also found defunct in a multi-storied hospital along M. G. Road. The fire safety audit found that fire escape routes in a few leading private hospitals were found blocked using iron grills.

Security personnel were posted on duty at these points to restrict the entry of visitors into the in-patient ward. Officials said that the hospitals also lacked hydrant lines and booster pumps for adequate water pressure in fire hoses.

Most of the hospitals lacked ramps connecting the various wings of the hospital complex that can be used for evacuation of patients in case of fire.

The survey found that fire pumps have stopped working in several hospitals. The management representatives of a hospital could not trace the keys of the room where the fire-fighting equipment was stored. The officials later asked the hospital authorities to dismantle the lock. Fire and smoke alarms in many hospitals were not functioning properly.

The audit found that the fire hoses in many hospitals were damaged. An official said that majority of the fire hoses also lacked quality.