The lives of thousands of students and workers in many local universities are in danger as the most basic fire safety requirements are flouted, a recent survey has revealed. A report published by the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) says fire safety standards in most institutions are appallingly low while regulatory authorities do nothing to enforce the law. "This academic report does not aim to scare people but recommends what needs to be done to safeguard institutions with some of the highest human traffic flows in the country," says author Gilbert Luhombo Makachia.
Published in the current issue of the university's Journal of Agriculture, Science and Technology and supervised by Prof Erastus Gatebe, the study says none of the sampled institutions had adequate water for firefighting as required by law. In a representative sample of seven public and 20 private universities in Nairobi, Kiambu, Nakuru and Kakamega, Mr Makachia says the institutions meet only the barest minimum of fire safety standards required by insurance and licensing authorities.
The survey, which was also overseen by Pius Makhonge of the Directorate of Occupational Safety and Health Services in the Ministry of Labour, says it is a legal requirement that sites have at least 10,000 litres of water for fighting fires. However, the study says none of the sites had provision for fire emergency water in place. The directorate also came under scathing criticism for abdicating its responsibilities and failing to demand that universities meet required fire safety standards. The directorate is mandated to enforce fire safety laws in workplaces but according to these findings, that has not been the case. None of the sampled institutions were found to have commissioned any annual fire safety audit as required by law.
In an interview with The Standard Sunday, Makachia said they completed the study last year and hoped their recommendations would help seal the identified loopholes. Although the author requested that the investigated institutions not be identified due to legal reasons, the details are available in the original article published in the online journal and in the university's eLibrary. "Our work involved talking to about 480 of the universities' population and physically checking available facilities and their operational conditions," said Makachia. The study also revealed that cases of direct electricity connection of bare wires to live sockets were numerous. Also recorded were signs of overheating or scorching of plugs and, in some instances, taped joints on extension leads.
"Records of inspection of portable electrical equipment after every six months as the law requires were lacking in majority of the sites," writes Makachia. But even more chilling are revelations that in more than 40 per cent of the institutions, flammable materials such as petrol and chemicals are not stored in purpose-built areas as required by law. "Flammable paints, for example, were in most cases not stored safely thus increasing the risk of fire breakouts and intensity on the premises." Justifying why it is necessary to jealously safeguard universities against fires, Makachia said these institutions hold a rich collection of priceless research data and materials. The study revealed blatant disregard for workplace safety by the universities and safety directorate while it also emerged that people are also ignorant of their own safety requirements. "For instance, only 23 per cent knew the correct telephone number to dial in the event of a fire emergency," he said. About 80 per cent of respondents spoke of no fire drills taking place in the universities; even some who had been with the institutions for decades. The study says none of the surveyed institutions had a written fire safety policy.
Courtesy: The Standard Online - Dated August 11, 2014
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