Problems that need to be resolved when implementing fire prevention and fighting regulations in industrial parks

Business in a dilemma

Take us on a tour of the company, with a fairly synchronous investment in fire protection systems including automatic fire alarm systems, pumps, wall hydrants, and a 200m water tank system.³..., Mr. Thai Dai Phong - Director of Duc Phong Company Limited, at Nghi Phu Industrial Park said, with the awareness of fire prevention and fighting to ensure assets for the enterprise itself, as well as the community, we have invested ourselves, gradually completing the current fire prevention and fighting system with a budget of over half a billion VND. However, in November 2022, the working team of the Fire Prevention and Fighting Police Department of the Provincial Police came down to inspect and concluded that the project was put into operation without a document approving the results of the fire prevention and fighting acceptance test.

According to Mr. Phong, Duc Phong Company Limited, of which he is the director, has been operating at Nghi Phu Industrial Park since June 2006, in the field of rattan and bamboo weaving for export. At the time of "lining up and marching", his company, like other companies, equipped itself with a fire prevention system and established a fire prevention team. Every year, the fire prevention force comes to inspect and all meet the conditions to ensure fire prevention work. In the past 20 years, there has been almost no fire at the Industrial Park. However, with the general review policy of the Ministry of Public Security, through the recent inspection of the Fire Prevention and Rescue Police Department of the Provincial Police, the company did not meet the standards, which means it violated the regulations onFire protection.

Fire protection system at Duc Phong Company Limited. Photo: D.C.

Similarly, Mr. Nguyen Khac Tuy - Director of Vinh Packaging Company Ltd., in Hung Loc Industrial Park said: The enterprise has completed the fire prevention system including: 200 m water tank³, high-speed pumps, 50 nozzles, over 20 200-liter drums for on-site handling, 5 automatic fire alarms, all are working well. However, currently, after inspection, the working team of the Fire Prevention and Rescue Police Department of the Provincial Police on December 10, 2022 concluded "Putting the project into use and operation without a document approving the results of fire prevention and fighting acceptance". According to Mr. Tuy, the businesses have all been in operation for nearly 20 years, but currently, if following the inspection conclusion, there is a risk of being fined and temporarily suspended from production, which will affect the business's operations and the income of workers...

Automatic fire alarm system at Vinh Packaging Company Limited. Photo: D.C.

Through research, most businesses believe that in order to meet current standards and regulations and ensure acceptance, they must almost completely reinvest from the beginning, from the factory system to the works serving fire prevention and fighting work. Accordingly, each business in the industrial park must invest in and build a new 500 m3 water tank.³and automatic fire pump system according to regulations, with a cost equivalent to 1 billion VND, not to mention the factory areas must be 18m apart while the area is limited, the factories have been fixed in advance... This is a very difficult problem to implement, difficult to implement for many businesses in current industrial parks.

Need suitable solutions to ensure fire prevention

According to businesses, the reason why their fire prevention and fighting systems were whistled was because businesses had invested in infrastructure quite early, when the current fire prevention and fighting regulations had not yet been issued, so they did not meet the requirements of the new regulations. In the petition sent to relevant levels and sectors, businesses in industrial parks in Vinh City requested to "Support solutions for businesses to gradually overcome current fire prevention and fighting regulations (based on the current status and existing fire prevention and fighting systems); Meet and dialogue with the Fire Prevention and Fighting Police Department of the Provincial Police and state management agencies... to remove current difficulties in fire prevention and fighting work".

Based on the document proposing to remove obstacles and difficulties for enterprises in fire prevention and fighting, on November 29, 2022, the Provincial People's Committee issued Document No. 9450/UBND-NC to the Provincial Police. In which, the Provincial People's Committee received Document No. 68/VCCINA dated November 21, 2022 of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry Branch in Nghe An on removing obstacles and difficulties for enterprises in industrial parks; Document No. 95/CV-HHDN dated November 21, 2022 of the Nghe An Provincial Business Association on removing difficulties in fire prevention and fighting for enterprises. Accordingly, the Standing Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, Le Hong Vinh, assigned the Provincial Police to review the content of the recommendations in the above documents for settlement in accordance with the provisions of law. The results shall be reported to the Provincial People's Committee and responded to the above agencies and organizations before December 15, 2022.

Regarding this issue, through research, it is known that: Implementing the direction of the Prime Minister, the leaders of the Ministry of Public Security, the People's Committee of Nghe An province, the Provincial Police have directed the Police of units and localities to organize a general review and inspection of 100% of the facilities under the state management of fire prevention and fighting and rescue in the area to promptly detect and guide the overcoming of shortcomings and limitations, and resolutely and thoroughly handle violations. As a result, 28,625/28,362 facilities were inspected (reaching a rate of 101%). 287 cases were fined with a total amount of more than 3,022,250,000 VND, 108 facilities were temporarily suspended, and 5 facilities were suspended.

Firefighting forces practice fire prevention and fighting. Photo: Quang An

Through inspection, the Fire Prevention and Rescue Police force has provided guidance on procedures and requirements for fire safety conditions so that owners of facilities and businesses can thoroughly remedy existing problems to ensure fire safety conditions and ensure compliance with legal regulations.

For enterprises in industrial parks, they are classified into 4 cases and have specific instructions:

For facilities that have conducted appraisal and design but have not yet organized inspection and acceptance of fire prevention and fighting, the facility is required to organize construction of all items in accordance with the approved design documents on fire prevention and fighting and immediately organize inspection and acceptance of fire prevention and fighting according to regulations.

For facilities subject to fire prevention and fighting design review but have not yet conducted fire prevention and fighting design review: Require facilities to prepare design documents, review and organize construction, and immediately conduct fire prevention and fighting acceptance inspection in accordance with current regulations, standards and norms.

For facilities not subject to fire prevention and fighting design approval: Allow to correct fire prevention and fighting safety conditions at the time the facility comes into operation.

For establishments operating before the 2001 Law on Fire Prevention and Fighting came into effect: The establishment is required to comply with Resolution No. 25/2021/NQ-HDND dated December 9, 2021 of the People's Council of Nghe An province regulating the handling of establishments that do not meet fire prevention and fighting requirements and are put into use in Nghe An province before the effective date of the Law on Fire Prevention and Fighting No. 27/2001/QH10 dated June 29, 2001.