ILO expert David Gold on factory fires & related issues
31 Mar '06
6 min read
ILO Online: What are the main features of a viable evacuation plan?
David Gold: The fact that so many people were able to evacuate the World Trade Center building successfully attests to the importance of certain considerations relevant to any workplace. First, there needs to be emergency planning, addressing action to be taken in case of a fire. Second, there needs to be, at a bare minimum, two well-lighted, clearly marked, unobstructed ways from the workstation to a safe area. Evacuation routes and alternative routes should be clearly posted at each workstation. Third, there needs to be coordination among the employer, the in-house emergency service, and the local emergency services. Batteries and back-up generators need to be in place to assure adequate lighting to support evacuation. Finally, we need a mechanism to account for workers, visitors and guests in a safe area, and procedures for assisting the disabled in emergency evacuation.
ILO Online: Despite the considerable prevention and regulation efforts that have taken place since the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire in New York, factory fires still occur today, particularly in developing countries … can you see any progress made over the last decades?
David Gold: Of course, the situation has considerably improved in developed countries. But there are also promising signs in the developing world. Let me give you an example. Various domestic and international agencies have focused on the fire at the Kader Factory in Thailand. It was the objective of the ILO study team at that time to develop an understanding of what occurred and to propose protective measures that can be applied at the enterprise level. The analysis we did in 1993 clearly had an impact on the safety and health record of that country. The ILO fire prevention checklist was translated into Thai and, most important, awareness has grown among government agencies and the social partners. In the long run, safety at work also pays and many political decision makers have understood this. Addressing the 2005 World Congress on Occupational Safety and Health in Orlando, Florida, Thaksin Shinawatra, Prime Minister of Thailand, said that 'prevention is paying not only in human terms but also in better performance by businesses and national economic strength'. Recent studies by the World Economic Forum and the Lausanne Institute of Management demonstrate that the most competitive countries are also the safest.
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