ILO expert David Gold on factory fires & related issues
31 Mar '06
6 min read
Fires in the workplace are among the most feared industrial events, and have left their mark on history.
From the 1911 factory fire in New York City that killed 146 textile workers, to more recent industrial accidents or incidents around the world that have left hundreds of dead and injured, such events often lead to the adoption of labour laws to protect factory workers.
A spate of recent industrial fires have again underlined the need for vigilance, planning and preparation for dealing with the unexpected – especially in the form of a viable evacuation plan.
ILO occupational safety and health expert David Gold spoke with ILO Online about fire protection and emergency management.
ILO Online: How frequent are large-scale factory fires and other incidents or involving high heat or flame?
David Gold: We do not have global numbers, but numerous fires are reported from all over the world. In 1993, a major fire at the Kader Industrial Co. Ltd. Factory in Thailand killed 188 workers. This disaster stands as the world's worst accidental loss-of-life fire in an industrial building in recent history.
ILO Online: What do these disasters have in common, if anything?
David Gold: Where a large number of workers are concerned, it is not possible to evacuate the working areas in a timely manner without an evacuation plan. In the wake of the devastation of the World Trade Center in New York, for example, we must recognize thatwhile some 4,000 lives were lost, over 25,000 lives were saved. Why? Because of an evacuation plan which worked.
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