Everyone knows that fire can be devastating. Human loss is the worst type of damage a fire can cause. A fire can happen at any time at any place irrespective of its occupancy status. Fire can attack us anywhere: at our homes or at our workplaces or in a hospital or in public places like theatres, malls, etc… Fire in any occupancy has the potential to cause harm to its occupants and severe damage to the property.
To sensitise the society and the lawmakers Aludecor organised a conference called #BeatTheFire at Mumbai on 14th Feb 2018 with the likes of Dr Prabhat S Rahangdale – Director and Chief Fire Officer – Maharashtra Fire Services, Ar Rajan Goregaonker – Director, GA Design, Ar Kshitij Limaye – Director, Sankalpan Architecture, Ar Rahul Mehta – Senior Associate at PG Patki & Associates, eminent media persons and stalwarts from the builders and architects fraternity from the city. The distinguished professionals from their respective fields threw light on the current situation and how to combat this fire menace. To set the tone, some startling facts and figures were shown to the guests present at the seminar.
Some figures which were thrown open to the audience and the panelists for the discussion:
Fire outbreak is the third biggest risk to business continuity and operations, according to India Risk Survey (IRS) 2018. On an average, in India, every year, about 22,000 people die due to fire and related causes. According to the statistics released by the National Crime Records Bureau, fire accounts for about 5.1% on an average of the total deaths reported due to un-natural/accidental causes. Had we taken enough fire protection measures probably many of these deaths could have been prevented. No comprehensive data is available in India on the economic losses suffered on account of fires. However, according to one estimate on the major losses reported by the Indian Insurance Companies, about 40-45% of the claims are against losses suffered due to fire.
According to another estimate about Rs. 1000 crores are lost every year due to fire. BMC records indicate that a total of 3,722 incidents of fire were reported in Mumbai in 2018. 364 people were left injured and 43 died due to fire in Mumbai in 2018 alone.
The NCRB data shows residential buildings are more likely to catch fire than factories manufacturing combustible items such as firecrackers and match-boxes. Fire incidents in residential buildings account for 29% of the total number of fire incidences, while those at combustible item manufacturing factories account for just 1.42%. There have been numerous fire accidents this year causing significant loss of life and property. In fact, within a span of 7 days in February 2018, Delhi alone has seen 3 fire incidents killing 17 people and injuring several people.
While the government and other regulatory bodies have prescribed norms and fire safety measures, implementation and vigilance continue to be a concern. Speaking on the occasion Dr. Rahangdale stressed on the selection and usage of right building materials with fire resistance properties. The panelists also discussed the importance of making the builders and the architects aware of the fire safety norms.
Read also: Aludecor #BeatTheFire Seminars in Mumbai and Delhi
The panelists also felt that architects and builders should also be firm and uncompromising on the fire safety rules and safety precautions. They asserted repeatedly that the safety audit and measures along with the use of the right kind of materials which can safeguard the buildings and the occupants are what is required today. In India lack of proper legislative provisions has led to several fire accidents in the country that have claimed a substantial number of lives and caused damages worth millions. The fire safety laws of the country need to clarify all the detailing related to fire safety and should be made mandatory and stricter in terms of implementation.
Mr Ashok Kr Bhaiya, the CMD of Aludecor, stressed on the requirement of concerted efforts by the stakeholders of the industry and the influencers to alleviate the concerns regarding fire safety and also explore the best materials that can be put into use across high-rises which have become a norm for a metropolitan skyline.
The occasion also saw the launch of the Firewall A2 Metal Composite Panel which has been formulated and developed indigenously by Aludecor after years of research and development at its state of the art factory at Haridwar, India.
Aludecor is also the first brand to receive the FPC (Factory Production Control) certificate from Exova Warringtonfire (UK) which is issued after subjecting both the mineral core and the production process employed to produce that mineral core in the factory, to rigorous on-site tests.
A2 is the highest available grade of fire-retardant composite material in the world made with more than 90% inorganic mineral content. Aludecor’s Firewall A2 has fireproof properties similar to metals. Firewall A2 releases negligible heat, produces no smoke and flaming droplets.
Owing to its 90% mineral content, it completely stops the fire from spreading. Most important, for high-rises beyond 15 meters Firewall A2 is a better and safer cladding material compared to other fire-retardant ACPs.
With these qualities, Firewall A2 is surely going to give the much-needed impetus to the growth of fire safe high-rises and public buildings.
Coming back to the noble initiative of #BeatTheFire, Aludecor is totally committed towards making the society a fire safe one by sensitising all the stakeholders, including influencers, builders and the end users and by providing a solution to fight the fire menace. Let’s together pledge to #BeatTheFire. Stay tuned for more updates on #BeatTheFire.
