KUALA LUMPUR: The authorities should carry out regular inspections and audits on old buildings to gauge their safety level, National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye said today.
He said frequent audit checks would be able to identify the safety level of a building or facility and allow for immediate action to be taken to rectify any potentially dangerous situation.
“The audit should involve a thorough check on the electrical wiring in buildings and facilities, as well as to identify various hazards and risks in buildings.
“The authorities who conduct the audit check must identify the safety level, including on fire hazards that could be caused by short circuits, old wiring and flammable cladding.
“If need be, there should be an annual safety audit for old buildings,” he said in a statement today.
Lee was commenting on the fire that broke out at a portion of the Kuala Lumpur Hospital’s (HKL) forensics unit at around noon yesterday.
It was reported that the fire was caused by a short circuit at HKL’s store. The fire spread quickly from the store, as it was used to house medical equipment, mainly made of plastic.
Kuala Lumpur Fire and Rescue Services department director Khirudin Drahman said two workers who were in the store were momentarily trapped in the building in the 12.15pm blaze.
However, no injuries were reported in the blaze.
Lee said that faulty electrical wiring is the leading cause of fires in Malaysia, with more than 5,300 cases recorded from 2014 to 2016.
“(What happened at HKL) showed that a fire could occur (even) at important buildings at any time,” he added.
Lee also congratulated the firemen and hospital staff who managed to remove 150 oxygen tanks which were kept in the store before the fire spread; as well as the evacuation of patients and others from nearby buildings according to standard operating procedures.
“NIOSH is ready to help create awareness on safety aspects at such premises, while its subsidiary, NIOSH Certification Sdn Bhd, also has the expertise to perform safety audits according to local and international standards,” he added.