Fire Experts Urge Citizens to be Safe as Yuletide Closes In
It has become pertinent to put safety into consideration as the Christmas season comes closer, fire experts have said.
In separate chats with HSENations at the Africa Safety Award event held at Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja, safety specialists urged citizens to keep away combustible and flammable materials that can lead to fire disasters.
Emergency Response Specialist, Dare Akinfosile, explained that government and citizens are culpable for the fire disasters that occur in the society stressing that combating fire is a collective effort.
He said, “People should apply common sense. They are basic things. You don’t store fuel and that is one of the major problems. People store fuel at home. People should use the right equipments.
“For instant, the camp gas is the problem. Everyone seems to have the camp gas at home. And every street has a shop where they sell gas. All these things are recipes of disaster. It is just a matter of time. We will keep having these.
“In the last few weeks, how many fires have we had, how many lives have we lost. We have to be serious about this. It is beyond talking. Both government and citizen; it is a collective effort. You don’t have to lose the life of somebody you know before you act.
Reacting to the recent Balogun Fire incident, he said that people in the market did not have to wait for the government to do things themselves that will protect their lives and properties.
“Even if you go back to the market, these people have the resources to implement many of these things by themselves. Again if the government doesn’t control something. For example a space that should be for one shop, you have like six shops there. And there are no roads, there are no fire hydrants. People are not even educated on the basic things to do,” he said.
Also speaking with HSENations’ reporter, the Managing Director of Surveillant Fire Ltd, Jumade Adejola, he explained the importance of pro-activeness and presence of safety equipment in homes, markets and other social places.
He advised people to be safety conscious while the Christmas season comes close and as changes occur in the weather.
“I will advise people to be safety conscious. The weather is getting dry. Most of our materials and equipment will be combustible. So people should just find a way to play around and away from fire. They should not mess with fire and at least they should get fire extinguishers in their cubicle,” he said.