Team-BHP - Fire in Carlton Towers Bangalore

This will also be forgotten in a couple of days and business will be back as usual. (Grrr)

Sprinklers will be in the garden, extinguishers would have expired, fire buckets with sand would still play their ash-tray role.

The least we can do, is to check our office/apartment premises to ensure the emergency exits arent blocked. (and atleast, have the hammer nearby)

Surely this will all be forgotten and we will continue our rat-race once again.

Imagine that there are fire-drills in my friends office and the project managers stand at the doors and tell people to continue their work. Even though the security guys come and ask them to leave, they don't allow them to and maska the security guys. They then somehow manage to tell the higher-ups that people in such jobs don't need the fire drills. Are these employees any different from human-beings? This being that even the clients on the phones (who can hear the screaming sirens) ask these guys to leave, even if it is "just" a fire-drill!

I read in the newspapers yesterday that the fire department should be well stocked with rescue equipment like chutes, jumping cushions, smoke dissipators and so on. This is definitely a valid point.

But, in the present traffic mess, how can the fire services reach the site and deploy the equipment in time?

I feel that some of these equipment should mandatorily be made a part of the high rise building's maintenance kit, with the maintenance staff thoroughly trained on their deployment. The equipment cost will be a pittance when compared to the cost of the building itself.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Samurai (Post 1753675)

I have noticed that in many of these hi-tech places, one has to use access card even to get out. Those are very dangerous in emergency situations.

In My current company and even my previous company, the access card points become inactive in case of an emergency and you can easily get out. Thats the way it should be. Reading the comments and reports, the current owners cut corners and made it more unsafe due to plain greed.

Atlast someone took a note:
PU building in MG Road has stacked atleast two new fire extinguishers in each floor. I hope they dont stop with just that and realise the bigger problem they have at hand - emergency exits.

I dont think throwing those who locked the door out of job is the correct way. I say, have them on the other side of the door and ignite fire. (expletives plenty for them)

People sitting at the BBMP/ Municipal offices are corrupt to the core. In Bangalore any thing and every thing is possible right from deviation of building plan ,reducing the fire safety stair case /emergency exists etc etc .

Officials who are responsible for enforcing mandatory safety norms are openly flouting rules, all irregularities / malpractices are given go ahead after taking good amount of bribes.

In fact the government of Karnataka is proposing laws to legalize unauthorized constructions thus encouraging such deeds in future.

Sadly such tragedies are waiting to happen, courtesy corrupt officials & toothless law enforcement agencies.please:

Times of India has put big big words against the security of Carlton Towers. Nice comments from the reporters and it was an eye opener as well.
BUT,
Has anyone seen the 50 yr old Times of India building in MG Road? It is so horrifying and even a hoax fire alarm will leave 80% dead in stampede. If there is a real fire then only lucky ones will get to survive. There is no scope of evacuation and the building is already on the verge of collapse.

There is one main staircase which has electricals deployed on the sides. Also the Wipro office there has very filthy support centers there. The wires are hanging, the office is totally congested and is like a maze to go out and come in.

The lift has no sensors and many a times people tend to get sandwiched between the doors .Once my friends were stucked in the lift for nearly 3 hours, imagine if a fire had broken during that time.

And the building is situated in a very very congested place.

There are many more buildings which has such problems, its just that disaster is waiting to happen.
One more good example is the Big Bazaar in Koramnagla (next to forum mall). Once you enter the mall, you have to go all the way to next end to reach the exit door which nearly 200 mtrs away, and on the way its full of stuffs. There is no exit in between and neither any sign boards.

And one more example is the proud of India, the ITPL building. People working there will have more to say about it. I take my heart on my hands if I have to climb up in any building there. I get back my senses only after coming out of the premises.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Samurai (Post 1753675)

I heard that the fire escape staircase doors were locked, in the name of security. If that is true, whoever took that decision should thrown out of their job. I have noticed that in many of these hi-tech places, one has to use access card even to get out. Those are very dangerous in emergency situations.

Samurai,
Most of the well designed systems would have a fire alarm mode where people can get out without swiping the cards. This is a normal use case scenario and I assume almost all access control systems should handle this situation by keeping safety of people as the primary goal.

In the newspaper today - Employees who have left there belongings were not allowed to the building. So if their laptops wallets are not burnt, it's supposed to be safe.

One ridiculous thing I read about. It seems while the building was on fire, people came in for rescue. However, their intention was to rescue the belongings. THEY STOLE IT. People reported Cash/laptops and cell phones to be stolen.

A Finnish reported his wallet along with his passport was flicked off. Wonder why they go back to their country with snaps projecting 'Poor India'..?
:Frustrati
I don't know how far is this true, but if you believe in news papers, believe it..!
:deadhorse

Quote:

Originally Posted by KRRaj (Post 1753690)

In My current company and even my previous company, the access card points become inactive in case of an emergency and you can easily get out. Thats the way it should be.

Quote:

Originally Posted by deepaktpatil (Post 1754029)

That is how it is supposed to work, but... I have actually designed such access control systems, so I am aware of how these things work at component level.

Often, these systems depend on un-interrupted power. If the system depends on power and emergency alert signal to become inactive, it may or may not work.

If all the locks are magnetic, it stays locked as long as power is supplied. They become unlocked if power fails. However, it becomes a security problem in a country like India where power can fail frequently. Unless you have multi-redundant power supply, magnetic locks are a security risk. On the other hand, electrical locks stay locked, but need power to unlock them. But they have manual override from the inside, so it is safe in case of emergency. One has to design the access system keeping all safety/emergency/security issues in mind.

However, if something can go wrong, it will. The security chaps who are managing the system may add their own little sauce, like adding extra padlock somewhere and defeat the whole system.