Page 44 - Insurance Times January 2024

Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune, Ahmedabad and Surat also have there is a fire outbreak or another such situation that doesn't
numerous high-rise buildings. allow people to leave the building. Therefore, a clear
passage must be constructed that leads to the refuge area.
Fire risk analysis of high-rise building is of critical importance The passage must be well-lit. It should not be used publicly
due to the reason that there still lacks efficient systematical and should only be used in the case of an emergency.
fire extinguish method to ensure a safety evacuation
process. Super high-rise buildings are booming in the recent It should not be an enclosed area. There shouldn't be high
decade of years in the world, which bring challenges to fire walls around the refuge area, although it can have a railing
protection considering the high building density, high or a medium-height wall to stop people from falling off. In
occupant load and high fire load. the time of emergency rescue services like the fire brigade
ladder should be able to access to it without any obstruction.
Good management of fire safety is essential to lower the The residents of the building (or the designated authority
probability of fire occurrence and to mitigate the consequence responsible for the upkeep of the building) must ensure that
if a fire does occur. It is paramount important that occupants in the door to it must never be locked. There should be no
the building are able to escape to a place of safety easily and obstructions on the way to the refuge area. It should be
quickly if a fire occurs and is out of control. The risk assessment immediately accessible in case of an emergency. It must not
is to identify the hazards, quantify the risk and propose measures be used for any other purpose whether permanently or
to mitigate and control the risk. A fire risk assessment is an temporarily. For example, people living near the refuge
organized and methodical review of a specific building, the area, should not use the place for storage, cooking or
activities carried on there and the likelihood that a fire could start recreation purposes.
and cause harm to the occupants and properties in and around
the premises. The aims of the fire risk assessment are to (1) Can there be alternative refuge areas?
identify the fire hazards, (2) reduce the risk as low as reasonably It depends on the height of the building. If the building has
practicable, and (3) decide what physical fire precautions and more than 24 floors an alternative refuge area needs be
management arrangements are necessary to ensure the safety provided. It must be ensured that the alternative area is
of people in the premises if a fire does start, it can help the built in the form of reinforced concrete cantilever projection
building manager to decide whether any risks identified are at the alternate mid-landing level of the staircase. The
acceptable or need to reduce or control the risks. Firefighting at minimum width must be 3 meters. For commercial high-rise
great height is a tough situation where the availability of water buildings, the minimum area for the alternative refuge area
& people may be scared. must be 15 square meters and for residential buildings, it
must be at least 10 square meters. There must be a clear
As per the National Building Code (NBC) every high-rise passage leading to it and signs must be put up, preferably
building or a skyscraper must have a dedicated refuge area painted in luminous paint. It is a temporary shelter so the
at every seventh floor of the building. The first refuge area main staircase or the main lift shouldn't open towards the
should be after the first 24 m (in height) and after that, every refuge area. It is to be used only for emergencies. In high-
seventh floor. A building's terrace floor is also considered a rise buildings up to 30 meters, the terrace floor of the
refuge area. Whether it is a residential or commercial building can be considered a refuge area. It is mandatory
building, if it is a high-rise building, it must have a refuge to have a fire check floor in a building that is more than 70
area. According to NBC, buildings with nine floors and more meters. Such a refuge area covers an entire floor every 70
are considered to be high-rise buildings. A refuge area in a meters. But the height of the fire check floor shouldn't
high-rise building is designed to accommodate people in case exceed 1.8 meters to curb misuse. It is the responsibility of
of a fire or another emergency, especially when people are the occupants/owners to ensure that the area is used only
unable to leave the building. Evacuation is not possible for the purpose of refuge and nothing else.
sometimes. The residents or the occupants of the building
can wait in it until help arrives. L. FLOOR SPACE INDEX AND REFUGE AREA: According to
the National building code refuge area must be limited
Important things to remember when to a maximum of 4% of the total liveable area. This
constructing refuge area in a high-rise portion is excluded from Floor Space Index (FSI - the
ratio of permissible built-up area). If the refuge area is
building: more than 4%, then the exceeding amount is added to
In the building it is an emergency area to be used only when the total liveable area.

40 January 2024 The Insurance Times