Locked gates can prevent escape from fire in flats
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Aug 20, 2011 - ST Forum
I REFER to Monday's report ('SCDF 'ambassadors' to teach seniors fire safety').
Fires spread in seconds, with barely enough time for anyone to get out alive from a blazing, heavily padlocked HDB flat. It is unthinkable that one has to look for keys to unlock the gate to get out of the flat alive.
In the Marine Terrace fire in March, the victim's body was found inside the apartment at the front gate, just a step away from getting out alive. The incident suggested that the escape had been prevented by the multiple padlocks at the front gate.
Before we teach occupants how to fight a fire, they should be taught how to escape alive from their flat. A front gate secured with multiple locks can impede escape and cost lives.
How to get out alive is critical. It is hard for the elderly to handle a fire extinguisher, which is quite heavy, and most HDB homes do not have one.
In commercial buildings, it is an offence to padlock or even key-lock the exit door. In contrast, the only exit in most HDB flats has multiple locks from the inside. There needs to be a better fire security system for HDB apartments.
Ang Chin Guan
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safety vs security.
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how come HDB flats dun have the building extinguishers, like when there is a fire, it can sprinkle down water.