Fire prevention and escape measures for multi-storey buildings

The major fire that broke out at the mini apartment building at No. 37, Alley 29/70, Khuong Ha Street, Thanh Xuan District, Hanoi on the evening of September 12 raised alarm bells about the dangers related to fire and explosion in mini apartments in residential areas.

Previously, the Fire Prevention, Fire Fighting and Rescue Police Department (Ministry of Public Security) recommended that, in order to ensure fire prevention, fire fighting and escape safety in case of fire, in parallel with strictly complying with fire prevention and fire safety regulations, agencies, organizations and individuals managing multi-storey buildings need to implement the following measures:

1. Fire prevention and fighting regulations, fire and smoking prohibition signs must be posted in areas at risk of fire.

2. In operations where gasoline, oil, gas and other flammable and explosive substances are used, full fire prevention and fighting measures must be taken.

3. Cooking areas and places where fire is permitted must have regulations to ensure fire prevention and fighting safety and solutions to prevent fire spread.

4. Install protective devices (circuit breakers) for the electrical system of the entire building, each floor, each room and each large-capacity electrical equipment. Take measures to ensure fire safety when using electrical equipment, especially heat-generating electrical equipment.

5. Build fireproof walls, ceilings and buffer spaces between areas; doors and windows in fireproof walls must be fireproof. Do not use flammable materials for ceilings, roofs, partitions, soundproofing... Curtains, backdrops and carpets must be impregnated with fire retardant.

6. Technical boxes and pipes between floors or systems are made of non-combustible materials and sealed with non-combustible materials.

7. Arrange non-hazardous or less fire-hazardous parts between fire-hazardous parts to prevent fire spread.

8. Install automatic fire alarm and fire extinguishing system to ensure fire extinguishing in the entire area.

9. Design and install lightning protection systems according to regulations.

10. Escape routes must ensure the following requirements:

- Have enough escape routes, arrange temporary shelters, backup escape routes; have solutions to prevent fire and smoke accumulation for the escape route system.

- The door on the escape route opens in the direction of escape, made of non-combustible material; the door to the escape stairwell is a fireproof door and has a self-closing mechanism.

- There is an evacuation plan for the entire building, each area, each floor. There is an emergency lighting system, directional lights and escape routes.

11. Establish a fire prevention and fighting team at the facility, organize a permanent fire fighting readiness team, organize training in fire prevention, fighting, rescue for fire prevention, fighting, and construction security forces.

12. Equip on-site fire fighting and rescue equipment suitable for the scale and nature of the fire or explosion, and reserve enough water for fire fighting.

13. Develop and organize fire fighting and rescue drills in the most complex fire situations.

14. In case of fire, by all means, report the fire as quickly as possible to the fire police force (phone number 114), notify the nearest police or authorities, and at the same time, by all means, extinguish the fire and organize escape and rescue according to the plan.

Instructions for escaping from fires in apartment buildings and high-rise buildings by the Fire Prevention, Fire Fighting and Rescue Police Department