Ensure Your Safety When Celebrating The End Of 2009

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CITY WATCH

Ensure your safety when celebrating the end of 2009

By Chularat Saengpassa

The Nation

Published on December 23, 2009

Ensure your safety when celebrating the end of 2009

If you are planning to go out to ring in 2010 or join other festivities this holiday season, here are a few pointers to protect you from a tragedy like the Santika Pub inferno.

First of all, remember that many Bangkok entertainment venues do not have adequate safety equipment.

Though the special-effects for a show during the countdown party was blamed for the Santika Pub tragedy, it is undeniable that the venue's poorly lit signs and malfunctioning sprinklers were the real reason why so many lives were lost. The fire claimed 66 lives and injured hundreds of people that night.

This year, being aware that general safety standards could have saved many lives, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has inspected 808 entertainment venues in the capital this year, and discovered that up to 513 of them do not have clearly marked emergency exits.

On top of this, many were ordered shut because the BMA found them to be in violation of the Building Control Act. However, despite posing a risk to pub goers, many of these venues have sprung back up again by registering themselves under new names.

It is also safe to assume that many of these operators have not bought third-party insurance policies, which means should anything happen at the venue, victims will not get compensated.

It's been a year since the tragedy now, yet Santika victims have not received any compensation apart from the meagre sums meted out for initial assistance.

At present, it's not compulsory for entertainment-venue operators to have third-party liability insurance. In fact, Thailand doesn't even have a specific law governing the building of an entertainment venue and the Department of Public Works and Town & Country Planning only started drafting such a law after the Santika Pub tragedy. Since such legislation usually takes time, the law will not be in place before you start ringing in the New Year. And yes, it's astonishing that night owls in Bangkok face such risks.

Therefore, to ensure your safety this holiday season, check out the following before you start partying:

-Find out if the venue has adequate emergency exits and where they are located;

-If the venue is adequately lit;

-If there are enough sprinklers in case of fire;

-Ask the manager if the place is insured for fire.

Last but not least, make sure you don't imbibe so much that you can't make your way to safety should anything happen.

If a fire breaks out, keep cool and think fast and clear about how to make your escape. Since smoke rises, make your way to the ground floor if possible. If there is too much smoke along the way, stoop low because there should be some oxygen at that level.

Hold a damp piece of cloth over your nose or put a plastic bag over your head to stop yourself from suffocating from smoke. Never use the escalator or elevator when there's a fire.

In order to avoid being caught in such emergencies, it's best to party in an outdoor location or maybe even stay at home - this way even if you don't know what the venue's safety standards are, you know how safe your own house is.

Chularat Saengpassa

Chularat(at)nationgroup.com

-- The Nation 2009/12/23

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[TheMysteriousMrTesla]

Two pieces of advice I don't really understand:-

Hold a damp piece of cloth over your nose or put a plastic bag over your head to stop yourself from suffocating from smoke.

and one breathes how?

Edit. Actually, whilst I've never seen such advice before, I suppose a decent sized bag could hold enough non-toxic air to improve chances of escape.

Never use the escalator or elevator when there's a fire.

Elevators I understand, but escalators form a viable escape route according to most building codes. Edited December 23, 2009 by TheMysteriousMrTesla

[neverdie]

^Yes theres certainly some great advice there, especially with putting the plastic bag over your head, that way if the smoke doesnt choke you the bag might do the job, or better still maybe the heat will melt the plastic onto your face.... .

Sadly there is madness all around the world at this time of year, people seem to disregard safety and through caution to the wind, thats why there are so many needless and tragic deaths this time of year.

[junglist]

This looks more like “Stop, Drop and Die” then “Stop, Drop and Role. A plastic bag. Some one needs to go back to safety school. Smokey the Bear would not be happy.

Stay safe all and have a Merry Christmas and a Happy and safe Holiday season.

[ArthurPewty]

In time for the Corrupt-A-Matic 2010X to spring into action. No fire fighting equipment? No problem! No license? No worries! No thought for safety? No issue! Just pay the bloated man at the front and carry on.

And now we offer a new and improved Crook-O-Tronic Infinity. No brain? Nothing to fear! Drunk? No guilt! Incapable of driving? OK! Just dip your hand in your pocket and be your way.

Here at ThaiWay Inc we guarantee that No matter what happens, No matter what law is broken, No matter how many poor people suffer, you in the suit with the family ties can walk away scot free and for a limited time only Thaiway Inc offers a free brash and guilt free attitude to causing other people to suffer.

ThaiWay inc! "It's money that matters."

[bkkjames]

This kinda says is all IMO..

Therefore, to ensure your safety this holiday season, check out the following before you start partying:

-Find out if the venue has adequate emergency exits and where they are located;

-If the venue is adequately lit;

-If there are enough sprinklers in case of fire;

-Ask the manager if the place is insured for fire.

Why do customers have to make sure that business are in-line with safety regulations? Wanna get business owners in line, shut them down till they meet the codes.

[jamesjdaly]

Ask the manager if the venue is insured and put a plastic bag over your head!

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Happy new year to all!

[Guemlum]

PRICELESS!!

//deleted by Admin//

[Donnyboy]

of course we can all avoid tragic events by wearing an amulet

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Right, taking personal advice from the Nation. And on a larger note: This advice makes sense now, because disastrous fires are more likely during the New Year holiday, because there was one last year.

[junglist]

In time for the Corrupt-A-Matic 2010X to spring into action. No fire fighting equipment? No problem! No license? No worries! No thought for safety? No issue! Just pay the bloated man at the front and carry on.

And now we offer a new and improved Crook-O-Tronic Infinity. No brain? Nothing to fear! Drunk? No guilt! Incapable of driving? OK! Just dip your hand in your pocket and be your way.

Here at ThaiWay Inc we guarantee that No matter what happens, No matter what law is broken, No matter how many poor people suffer, you in the suit with the family ties can walk away scot free and for a limited time only Thaiway Inc offers a free brash and guilt free attitude to causing other people to suffer.

ThaiWay inc! "It's money that matters."

You are my new Thaivisa 2009 hero. Haaaa or Hoooo

[NCFC]

In time for the Corrupt-A-Matic 2010X to spring into action. No fire fighting equipment? No problem! No license? No worries! No thought for safety? No issue! Just pay the bloated man at the front and carry on.

And now we offer a new and improved Crook-O-Tronic Infinity. No brain? Nothing to fear! Drunk? No guilt! Incapable of driving? OK! Just dip your hand in your pocket and be your way.

Here at ThaiWay Inc we guarantee that No matter what happens, No matter what law is broken, No matter how many poor people suffer, you in the suit with the family ties can walk away scot free and for a limited time only Thaiway Inc offers a free brash and guilt free attitude to causing other people to suffer.

ThaiWay inc! "It's money that matters."

You're staying at home this year, I take it?

[ArthurPewty]

Yep!

I hope I will not see on the news scores of people that have suffocated after mistaking dry ice as smoke with bags over their heads.