Govt shifts to third-party audits for safety compliance; online platform in the offing
Panaji: Certified third-party agencies will conduct mandatory fire-safety audits of commercial establishments seeking new or renewed fire licences, as well as audits every six months, under a new system introduced by the Goa Fire and Emergency Services Department.
Nine certified agencies have been empanelled by the department for the purpose.
Applications for the audits are currently being processed through the Goaonline portal. Goa Electronics Limited (GEL) is expected to develop a dedicated online platform through which both small and large commercial establishments can apply for third-party fire safety audits.
“For restaurants, the inspection is in process. It is an ongoing process,” said Fire Additional Divisional Officer (North) Shripad Gawas. He said the inspections followed recent fire incidents and would continue as part of the ongoing safety audit.
He said commercial kitchens were among the more vulnerable areas in restaurants because of the concentration of cooking equipment and the number of people present in busy establishments.
He was speaking on the sidelines of a joint press conference held by the Food and Drugs Administration, Fire and Emergency Services Department and Elanpro on Wednesday to launch the Saksham project for food businesses.
“Establishments found with deficiencies were issued recommendations and subsequently re-inspected to verify whether the shortcomings had been rectified before a final No Objection Certificate was issued,” he said.
The department has advised shifting commercial LPG cylinders outside kitchen areas wherever feasible and installing integrated heat detectors. These can provide early warning in areas where conventional smoke detection systems may be unsuitable due to cooking fumes.
Gawas also said mild steel components were vulnerable to corrosion in coastal areas, which could affect fire-safety systems and pipelines.
“In the coastal areas, MS (mild steel) gets corroded fast. So, nitrogen pressure testing needs to be done to prevent any leakages,” he said.
The department also reiterated restrictions on the use of pyrotechnics during entertainment programmes.
Gawas said the responsibility for maintaining fire-fighting installations, keeping evacuation routes unobstructed and rectifying deficiencies rested with the establishment’s occupier and management.
“It is the individual responsibility of the occupier to ensure that these things have been complied with,” he said.
