Fire safety clearance certificate will not be issued if the rule is not followed’
Karnataka Fire and Emergency Services Department has made display of ‘No Smoking’ boards at the entrance of all buildings classified as public places mandatory for getting the fire safety clearance certificate.
In a circular, dated September 22, 2014, Director-General of Karnataka Fire and Emergency Services Om Prakash directed all fire officers in the State to strictly recommend applicants of no-objection certificate (NOC) from the department to display ‘No Smoking’ boards at the entrance of the building, conspicuous places inside the building and at the entrance to the lift on each floor.
“If the boards are not put up after constructing the building, the department’s clearance certificate will not be issued,” Mr. Om Prakash told The Hindu over the phone. While NOCs are issued before the construction of the building, fire safety clearance certificates are issued before an occupancy certificate is sought from the respective civic body, he said.
Civic bodies cannot issue an occupancy certificate without the fire safety clearance certificate.
The new condition has been included in accordance with Section 4 of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003 (COPTA) that prohibits “smoking in all public places, including any place to which public have access, whether as of right or not, and includes business places and offices, corporate houses, shopping malls, theatres, factories, hospitals, amusement centres, restaurants, public offices, court buildings, etc...”
The display of ‘No Smoking’ boards was applicable to high-rises as well as low-rises, Mr. Om Prakash said.
Other conditions
This is in addition to the other structural and fire safety equipment conditions stipulated in the National Building Code, including mandatory fire exits, setbacks, and installation of smoke detectors and sprinklers as applicable to residential, commercial, industrial, mixed occupation, institutions etc.
The new condition was included following a recommendation from the Institute of Public Health, which is coordinating with the Home Department for implementing COPTA.
“Fire started by careless use of smokers’ materials has been the leading known cause of fire-related death in all countries across the world... Studies show that fires ignited by smokers’ materials result in more fatalities and property damage than those ignited by other sources,” said a letter written to the Fire and Emergency Services by Vishal Rao U.S., Director of Cancer Prevention Project of the Institute of Public Health, Bangalore.
“Since cigarette smoking is a potential fire hazard, addition of this rule to the existing set of rules prescribed for minimum requirements to prevent fire would be very useful to safeguard the lives of millions in our State,” he said.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/no-smoking-board-must-for-new-public-buildings/article6462627.ece?homepage=true
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/no-smoking-board-must-for-new-public-buildings/article6462627.ece?homepage=true
