MNDF: Fire safety measures lacking in majority of warehouses

Maldives National Defense Force’s Fire and Rescue Service reports it has checked 229 warehouses for fire safety measures so far, and found majority of the properties lacked any form of fire safety measures.

MNDF briefed the media regarding its operation – which has been ongoing since December 4 – during a press conference held at Kalhuthukkalaa Koshi this Wednesday.

Staff Sergeant Isthiyaar Hussein reported MNDF was conducting the operation by dividing Male’ City into four areas – first of which was the Maafannu district.

He reported that Fire and Rescue Service has checked 229 warehouses in Maafannu and Mahchangolhi by dividing the two districts into 24 zones.

Information gathered from 133 of the warehouses have been entered into the database.

The authority noted that 54 percent of the warehouses lacked any form of fire safety measures; 45 percent of the warehouses had fire extinguishers; and only 1 percent of the warehouses had dry riser systems installed.

Fire and Rescue Service noted many of the fire safety systems installed were either obsolete or unusable due to damage.

“45 percent of the places had fire extinguishers. But just for show. For example, many of the fire extinguishers had expired. There were fire extinguishers which had expired back in 2011,” said Warrant Officer Nasheed, Commander of Male’ Fire Station.

Fire and Rescue Service noted that 72 percent of the 133 warehouses entered into the database were uninsured, with only 23 percent of the places insured.

Nasheed said that the warehouses surveyed were in poor condition, and that the operation would help identify the level of existing measures against fires and identify what needs to be done to ensure fire safety measures are up to par.

He said the purpose of the operation wasn’t to shut down warehouses which lacked proper fire safety measures, but to do a risk assessment.

“The biggest advantage of this operation is we will be able to identify the structure of these places. Make an inventory of the type of products that are warehoused. Which products are at most risk. As a result, when we go to these places, we are pre-informed of what is required, how big a fire we should be prepared for,” said Nasheed.

Fire and Rescue Service will be collecting information regarding the structure of warehouses, how products are warehoused, and the safety of electrical wiring in place.

The authority will also check whether safety measures are up to par in workshops which do welding.

The operation will be carried out over a one-month period, and the Fire and Rescue Service will also be doing risk assessment on restaurants and workshops in Male’ City, and entering it into the database.

Nasheed said that the authority was not able to do risk assessments on 40 warehouses which were closed when officers arrived there.

He also thanked the public for the support the authority has received during the course of the operation.

MNDF reported it planned to expand the operation and check for level of fire safety measures in boats as well.