With the evolution of safety and the ever-growing need for safety of operations in the different sectors of the Nigerian economy, the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) is working to implement policies to ensure the safety of citizens, assets, and the environment.
The “Prince Ebeano Supermarket” is one of the business enterprises that has a chain of outlets in major cities across Nigeria. It’s no longer news that the multi-million-naira Supermarket facility in Lokogoma Abuja was gutted by fire on Saturday the 17th of July 2021.
Fire disasters in Nigeria have always been plagued by the blame game usually attributed to the slow response time or the extended E.T.A of the Fire Service at the scene or the lack of sincere commitment of the AHJ to sustainable development in terms of infrastructure but leave out “Safety is everybody’s business” and the failure of the business owner or organization responsibility to itself and the society at large, a typical example being the unsafe acts and conditions which exposed the utter disregard of life during the “Otedola bridge inferno”.
Those who understand the dynamics of fire safety systems know that every fire disaster in Nigeria always exposes our culture of crude or almost nonexistent preparedness for possible disasters and a critical analysis of the enabling factor for the propagation of the fire hazard will highlight the root cause of the incident in general as the risk entails not only financial or reputational loss to the business owner but a possibility for loss of lives.
Fire safety is a fundamental consideration in building design and management, but unfortunately, one that is often overlooked as concepts like firewalls are today more likely to be associated with IT security than with physical safety. This concept utilizes both passive and active means for fire risk detection and mitigation.
From an engineering perspective, fire risks are avoidable to residual levels or to As Low As Reasonably Practicable (ALARP) and this is achieved using proper engineering principles benchmarked to several performance criteria to prevent the occurrence of a fire incident or contain and extinguish the incipient fire.
As an employer, you have a legal duty to carry out a fire safety risk assessment and to make sure that your workplace, the people who work there, and the general public are kept safe from fire and its effects. You will also need to make sure that your workplace contains the necessary fire safety precautions (active and passive) and that these are maintained. You should also provide information, instruction, and training to your employees about fire prevention and what to do in the event of a fire.
The fire disaster at the Prince Ebeano supermarket facility could have been controlled had the proper safety measures been taken. This calls to mind the Hierarchy of Controls in their order of efficacy and peculiarity to the subject matter include:
- Elimination: This simply put, involves removing the ignition source used, from the reach of unauthorized personnel. Eliminating a hazard is clearly the most effective and sustainable way of dealing with it. Whether the hazard is an accessible and operable match stick or a fully/semi-functional lighter, it cannot generate a risk once eliminated. The administrative or supervisory efforts attached to that hazard also becomes nullified.
- Engineering controls: To put it as succinctly as possible, are methods designed to get as close to eliminating the hazard as possible, without actually eliminating it. This is done by designing something into the facility to reduce the hazard or the employee’s exposure to it. As long as they are designed properly (and used by employees properly), they are very reliable. These controls involve installing active fire safety systems for detection, early warning to occupants and designated personnel, and suppressing the fire at the incipient stage. Such systems include Automatic fire detection and alarm system, gas suppression systems, and in the case of Prince Ebeano supermarket, a fire sprinkler system and other firefighting systems all designed to fulfill requirements for compliance.
- Administrative controls: These are the policies, operating procedures, rules, and practices that describe the employee operations as well as non-employees within the supermarket facility and act as a barrier between the people and the potential hazard. A policy that simply prohibits the use of certain items within the supermarket. By adding a procedure that describes how and when shoppers can use these possibly hazardous items (i.e. when safely exited the facility), customers get a clearer picture of what is required of them to avoid a fire hazard.
- Personal protective equipment (PPE): is the least effective type of control. This is particularly true for supermarket customers because there aren’t any true PPE items (in the absence of a fire blanket if it was within the facility) easily accessible although in limited supply in the event of fire hence evacuation of occupants. Fire retardant clothing as a result of their premium prices is a specialty item as they are not easily and locally accessible.
In conclusion, the Prince Ebeano supermarket facility inferno is a case of gross negligence of compliance to life safety as a direct contradiction to the principles of NFPA 101 Master code
Also Read:
STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY CONSIDERATION AGAINST COLLAPSE IN CASE OF FIRE
COST PERFORMANCE APPROACH OF QUALITY MANAGEMENT FOR FIRE PROTECTION SERVICES IN WEST AFRICA
IMPORTANCE OF TECHNICAL SAFETY
