Imposing premium importance to fire safety

By OEM Update Editorial June 17, 2019 5:56 pm IST

Whenever an incident of fire takes place, the investigation afterwards highlights issues such as non-compliant construction; lack of precautionary maintenance. In India, even the most developed and urbanised cities have poor fire safety measures, rural areas are most prone to fire accidents. In the present scenario, fire safety in rural and urban areas are rarely prioritised. Rahul Arjun Jadhav, Director, Aarush Fire Systems Pvt Ltd discusses how India has always been a victim of frequent fire incidents and accidents; owing to the inadequate safety measures and precautions and how to give premium importance to safety needs of the people.

Why do you think India is fighting a forever battle to put a premium on public safety?
Majority of the Indians are unaware about the safety aspect, owing to the country’s low literacy rate. Hardly any awareness campaigns are being done by Government of India. Neither do they properly focus on fire safety issues and threats. So, India is always fighting a battle to prioritise public safety.

Do you think India needs a new approach to fire safety? What are your thoughts?
India has always been a victim of frequent fire incidents and accidents; owing to the inadequate safety measures and precautions. Most of the infrastructures doesn’t have the sufficient fire and safety equipments. The already installed equipment aren’t maintained or updated timely. So, whenever there is a fire accident, heavy human and financial losses happens. A new approach of fire safety is the need of the hour, with premium importance to people.

What guidelines and framework do you think needs to be in place to conduct a comprehensive risk-assessment for our cities?
Local government bodies must conduct risk assessment for their cities based on geographical area, localities and type of the buildings’ infrastructures considering their establishment years. Old buildings require more attention and precautions for the overall safety. Commercial buildings or shops trading hazardous material and industrial buildings must have appropriate fire and safety equipment installed.

What quality standards are followed for manufacturing fire extinguishers?
Every manufacturer should follow a certain set of standards pertaining to the target area. Indian manufacturers should follow the IS and UL standards for exporting.

Today, ‘value addition’ is a buzz word. How do you work with your customers to offer them a complete solution than just a product?
Every request is unique. The fire safety system for a residential building is different from that of a commercial and industrial plant. As per our client’s request and application, we suggest the appropriate fire-fighting systems and products to the clients. Our service also provide free training and live demonstration programs to the clients as value addition.

What kind of safety studies are being conducted?
Local government bodies should conduct surveys in the cities on increasing fire accidents happening in the recent years. They need to analyse the major and common reasons and implement appropriate remedies for them.

India is always fighting a battle to prioritise public safety
Rahul Arjun Jadhav, Director, Aarush Fire Systems Pvt Ltd