Fire Prevention and Protection Rules 2014 has remained suspended for four years as the government is yet to revise the rules after its suspension following objections from different stakeholders, including readymade garment factory owners.The government formulated Fire Prevention and Protection Rules after nine years of enactment of Fire Prevention and Protection Act 2003 and issued gazette notification on September 18, 2014.After three months of gazette notification, home ministry at a meeting on January 8, 2015 decided to halt the implementation of the rules as Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association and Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association voiced their reservations about the rules to the ministry and Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defence. After scrutinising the reservations voiced by readymade garment sector leaders, home ministry decided to revise the rules but the process is yet to complete.‘Fire Prevention and Protection Rules is now in the revision stage. It is not possible to say how long it will take. Hopefully the process will be completed within a few months,’ Ali Ahmed Khan, director general of Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defence, told New Age on Tuesday.He said that home ministry sent the draft rules to law ministry for vetting.After issuing gazette notification of Fire Prevention and Protection Rules 2014, BGMEA and BKMEA leaders said that the government formulated the ruled without any discussion with industry people and there were some inconsistencies in the rules that might harm the sector.RMG factory owners opposed some clauses and sub-clauses related to occupancy certificate, licence fee, installation of fire extinguishers, fire fighting equipment including auto sprinkler, smoke and heat detectors and establishment of overhead tank and underground water reservoir.As per the previous rules, the authorities have to install one auto sprinkler head in each 100 square feet and BGMEA said that the requirement was bigger than necessity. The rules asked the building owners to keep 20-feet wide road surrounding the buildings for easy access of fire service vehicles.It also said that a factory would have to have 15 metre wide main road on its front side.BGMEA said that the provisions could be applicable for factories established in planned industrial zone and for new factories, but not for the existing factories.Later on, the government prepared a further draft of fire rules addressing the reservations expressed by garment factory owners.One of the BGMEA leaders said that the trade body recently submitted their proposals on the draft rules to home ministry.BGMEA proposed to amend 13 sections of the draft rules.Regarding the sections related to gas suppression system and FOM-fixed installation, BGMEA said that the provisions were not necessary for the readymade garment factory.It also proposed to amend the section 12 and 13 of draft rules saying that installation of fire extinguishers at the same location of each floor was not logical and there was no need to establish automatic high velocity water spray or gas suppression system in the RMG factories as fire hydrant system was usually established near to the power substations in the factories.Regarding the provisions related to fire fighting, floor plan, height of building and width of road, fire lift, fire hydrant and refuge area, BGME said that the sections would not be applicable for the existing factory buildings.
