Safety officer Constance Phillips told IOL that there are multiple laws and regulations to protect residents but not enough was being done to educate or enforce the laws on fire safety.
City of Tshwane firefighters extinguish an inferno in Esselen Street, Sunnyside. File PictureReports of residential apartments, occupied by families, going up in flames have lately been common, with tragic losses of life in some of the incidents.
The inferno was reported at around 9pm on Tuesday, before the whole residential complex was gutted by the fire. Majority of the residents are near-destitute, with only the clothes they were wearing when they fled. Some only managed to salvage their vehicles but lost all household property. Polokwane CBD resident Aisha Guti told IOL that she has lived in a 10-storey building for more than three years but she has not taken time to learn how to escape in case of an emergency. Neither has the body corporate taken time to educate residents on what to do in the event of a fire.
“You see, we are living in buildings which are getting dilapidated and it would be asking for too much to expect firefighting equipment here. I had to move into an apartment because it provides added security unlike staying in a stand-alone house.” In terms of government regulations and by-laws, Phillips said South African law provides various protections for residents and consumers through several government regulations and by-laws including the Consumer Protection Act ; residential protection laws; Rent Control Act; and the Housing Consumers Protection Measures Act.
She said another hurdle which adds to the complexity of the situation is overlapping laws and regulations which can create confusion. Phillips adds that common safety requirements and equipment that should seen in residential or office blocks include fire alarms — manual and preferably automatic ones; fire extinguishers positioned on each floor, in corridors, and near exits; fire hydrants that are easily accessible; fire escape routes and exit signs; smoke detectors; emergency lighting; exit signs and illuminated exit routes; first aid kits; safety signs like warnings of slippery floors; and secure entrance and access...
Last year, more than 70 people lost their lives when fire gutted a multi-storey apartment building in the heart of Joburg. File Picture: Timothy Bernard/Independent Media “To address this, our department oversees the National Home Builders Registration Council , established in 1998 under the Housing Consumers Protection Measures Act .”
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