On the 1 June 2009, a fire broke out in the linen room at the Umhlanga Hospital killing two and leaving many patients and hospital staff suffering from smoke inhalation. Government is now putting in place new regulations to ensure that this incident is not repeated.

Forensic experts have started a probe into the “cause of the tragedy, including possible negligence or flouting of occupational health and safety measures”. The Department of Labour is inspecting the sprinkler system, smoke detectors, emergency escapes, and compliance with electrical installation regulations. No one was treated for burns from the fire and now all fingers are pointing to poor ventilation as the main cause of the tragedy.

Government has decided to take action by revising regulations, which address issues such as ventilation, in order to avoid another fire at a public hospital Current legislation in South Africa requires that hospitals provide adequate safety measures for all staff and patients round the clock. According to section 24 of the Bill of Rights, all patients are entitled “to an environment that is not harmful to their health or well-being”.

The Government has classified a hospital as an E2 level of occupancy in a building, and any health care facility has been classified with the code of E4. Both the E2 and E4 codes explicitly state that these services can expect 24-hour occupancy which puts the facilities under constant pressure to maintain strict safety guidelines.

When a fire breaks out. Victims have 40 -50 seconds to outrun smoke travelling at 1m and 2m per second over a distance of 100m.

Smoking can kill you

One of the key safety features for a hospital is proper ventilation because of the threat of smoke from fire. According to part-T of the South African National Standards (SANS) 10400 regulation, “in any fire, smoke is probably the greatest danger to life, and it is essential that attention be given to a means of smoke control and dispersal”.

Frank Seed, director of Robertson Ventilation Industries and currently involved in changing the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) 0400 standard to the SANS 10400 regulations, posits that under certain conditions, smoke travels between1m and 2m per second and a trapped person has between forty and fifty seconds to clear one hundred metres, in order to escape the smoke blanket. But in hospital wards people are more vulnerable.

“People are bed-ridden, and it is not an ‘awake and aware’ situation. Wards are compartmentalised and not prone to much risk of smoke entering, as long as the door is closed. However, there is a lot of piped oxygen coming into the patients bedrooms,” said Seed. A similar scene to this played out at the Umhlanga Hospital.

Where there is smoke, there is fire

Given the vulnerability of hospital patients, what is being done to improve a building’s health and safety standards? On 14 September 2007, the then Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr. Mondisi Mpahlwa announced that Section 17 of the National Building Regulations and the Building Standards Act ( Act 103 of 1977) was to be amended after consultations with the SABS council. These changes would have taken effect on 1 October 2008, but failes to do so.

Today the industry awaits the third draft paper on this standard, referred to as SANS 10400 Draft SA Standard. The draft includes: Part-O, which pertains to the regulation of lighting and ventilation, Part-T, which pertains to the aspects of fire protection, and Part-W, pertains to the installations of fire retarding equipments.

Seed says that these regulations should have been revised twenty years ago as the old SAB 0400 regulation had no stipulation of standards or tests.

Andy Crowe, of Donkin Fans in Port Elizabeth, stated in, ‘New Smoke Legislation to Safeguard Lives’, that the “forthcoming update of SANS 10400 building regulations will establish specific criteria for smoke ventilation and heat ventilation systems” that will “eliminate ambiguity surrounding the quality performance of fan equipment purpose-designed for safeguarding building occupants”.

Important issues being addressed in the draft include:

• “Any rational design of an artificial ventilation system shall be carried out by or under the supervision of a competent person who shall certify… that the system is designed to comply”.

• Sub-regulaution-O6 states that the use of ventilation fans and plants that are used for the protection against hazardous materials, the protection of occupants and to ensure safe procedures, “such as hospital theatres”, “shall be inspected and validated at least every twelve months by an independent competent person”, where a competent person is defined as “a person who is qualified by virtue of his experience and training”.

Crowe said that equipment is often not fit for the purpose, has never been tested or proven by official bodies of standards, and that in many cases, the lowest cost option that has been installed has resulted in life and death implications. He calls the update of SANS 10400 a “light at the end of the tunnel” as it will “establish enforceable criteria to be met in smoke and heat ventilation systems”.

The new changes have also meant that fire engineering has now been recognised by the Engineering Council ensuring that fire engineers are licensed and accredited. Now with this ‘competent person’ phraseology, the Engineering Council has taken the proactive step of educating and training for this field.

• “If a floor area is more than 500m² …(it) shall be provided with a system of mechanical smoke ventilation, or roof ventilation or open windows or panels to permit smoke ventilation”.

• A provision for sufficient fire extinguishers has been made and the amendment to Regulation-W will deal with “all approved fire installations”.

Fires are common and the necessary planning for them will need to become more stringent, especially in the area of correct electrical installation and the maintenance thereof.

• Part-T will deal with the installation of fire breaks and emergency procedures that need to be in place in the event of a fire breaking out.

Crowe says that with regards to Part-T, ventilation systems in the future will have to comply with the requirements of EN12101-2002. Seed adds that this will bring in the testing of vents under fire conditions, test the fans air movement aerodynamically, snow and wind load testing, and cycle testing.

Engulfed by the flames, the person is trapped.

Dated thought

These new regulations and standards have been a long time in coming. Ron Watermeyer, of Soderlund and Schutte Civil Engineering, said in his presentation ‘New SANS 10400- Impact on Industry and Professionals, that “South Africa regulates buildings using 1970 / 1980 thinking”.

He adds that such thinking cannot continue as the apartheid system has been abolished, local authorities have been totally re-structured, the NHBRC has come into being, the population has doubled, building control and systems have become more complex, innovative and new building systems have been introduced, and societal expectations have changed.

The new standards will be a significant step that will assure improved functioning of manufactured ventilation and fire detection devices for the benefits of health and safety. The expected update of SANS 10400 will eliminate all doubt on smoke fan quality and performance by applying the National Building Regulations very specifically, wrote Crowe.

Fortunately many products on the South African market comply with SABS standards and international standards making compliance with the new regulations easier.

Burning conclusions

Answers to the Umhlanga Hospital fire will come in time, but East Coast residents are still left asking questions about the safety of their health care facilities. New legislation is a step in the right direction, and now it is time for manufacturers of these ventilation and safety equipment to take the initiative to prevent further tragedy. It will become imperative for regulation to be reviewed every five years and it will be much safer if every building would just comply. But unfortunately, it often comes down to budget.

Bibliography:

Crowe. A. (2009). Donkin Fans: New Smoke Legislation to Safeguard Lives. Donkin Fans:Port Elizabeth.

Department of Trade and Industry. (2007) The Government Gazette Number 30276. Proposed Introduction Of An Amendment To The National Building Regulations. Available from http://www.kewzoo.co.za/04%20%20LEGAL%20REGISTER/Legislation/Other/Nat%20Building%20Regs-Draft-Sep2007.pdf. ( Accessed 10 June 2009).

Mapazi. Z. (2009). Media Release: Probe into Kwa-Zulu Natal Hospital Fire. Department of Labour.

Masuku.S. (2009) Labour dept to probe hospital fire. Available from www.radioalgoa.com/newsarticle.asp?newsid=151179. (Accessed 3 June 2009).

Seed.F. (2009) personal interview. 15 June 2009.

Subbon. J. (2009) East Coast Radio. Hospital Wards Still Closed Following Fire. Available from http://blog.ecr.co.za/newswatch/?p=5780. (Accessed 12 June 2009).

Watermeyer. R. (2008.) SANS 10400- Impact on Industry and Professionals. Available from http://www.arcdirectory.co.za/nbr/NBR_Presentation.pdf. (Accessed 13 June 2009). ◊