Fresh guidelines to ensure fire safety will soon be circulated to hotel associations and will also be on the civic body’s website.
Mumbai’s municipal administrators, the BMC, will simplify the process of obtaining fire clearances for restaurants and eating places following the fire at City Kinara restaurant that claimed eight lives on October 16.
Fresh guidelines to ensure fire safety will soon be circulated to hotel associations and will also be uploaded on the civic body’s website.
The fire brigade has drafted guidelines for restaurants, eateries and hotels using LPG/PNG for cooking. The guidelines will ensure better fire safety in establishments, resulting in sustained business without loss of precious life and property, fire officials said. “For every type of proposal which will be sent to us by an eatery for obtaining an NOC, we have decided to simply the process and reduce steps involved in securitising and preparing it (NOC),” said a fire official.
The fire brigade is also requesting restaurant/hotel owners to display a board at a prominent spot at the entrance displaying the message ‘This restaurant is fire safety compliant’ in English and Marathi after compliance of the safety norms. “We want citizens to only visit hotels with those boards,” the official added.
The BMC’s guidelines on using gas cylinders:
- Inflammable packing and other material should be removed.
- Position of cylinders shall facilitate changing and quick removal in case of necessity, and access to valve connections and regulating devices.
- Cylinders must be installed upright with valves uppermost.
- Entrance, exit, passage must be kept free of obstruction.
- Electrical wiring must be in metal conduit or fire retardant material as per ISI standards.
- Electric mains must be switched off before closing premises.
- No storage of anything within radius of one metre from electrical wiring and/or electric installations.
- Good housekeeping must be maintained on premises.
