Rustem Khamitov announced results of shopping centers fire safety checks

UFA, 18 April 2018. /Bashinform News Agency/. Yesterday at a meeting of the Interdepartmental Council for Public Security of the region, the Head of Bashkortostan Rustem Khamitov announced the results of shopping and entertainment complexes fire safety checks.

As of today, 355 out of 705 large shopping malls and other heavily trafficked facilities have been inspected by the supervisory bodies. As a result of the checks, 8,220 violations of fire safety requirements were identified.

At 278 facilities, automatic fire alarm systems were not installed or were out-of-service. Notification and evacuation control systems did not work or were completely absent at 221 facilities. 111 properties with absence or malfunction of automatic fire-extinguishing systems were identified, 73 – with absence or malfunction of smoke protection systems. Evacuation exits did not meet the requirements at 285 facilities. Personnel training for fire safety measures was not conducted at 117 facilities.

Marat Latypov, the Head of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Emergencies RB, gave examples of negligent attitude to fire safety by owners and managers of shopping malls. Floors and coatings in a number of shopping centers were made of flammable materials, evacuation routes were cluttered with foreign bodies and goods.

According to the prosecutor of the Republic of Bashkortostan Andrei Nazarov, the owners of shopping centers ignore the fire safety requirements on a massive scale, and the control and supervisory authorities and municipal authorities do not take appropriate measures to curb violations. Based on the results of the inspections, 18 lawsuits were sent to the courts, over 300 reports were filed, 193 cases of administrative offenses were brought against the guilty persons, suspension of eight facilities operation was considered.

"Issues of licensing, construction permits, commissioning of shopping centers, further work with entertainment complexes are a direct responsibility of the municipalities heads", Rustem Khamitov underlined, referring to the leaders of cities and districts. “Your task is to ensure that people in the territories entrusted to you will be safe and sound.”