Tuesday, May 10, 2016
THE
Fire Safety Order 2016 will be implemented in four phases, the
Assistant Superintendent of the Fire and Rescue Department Hj Juni Hj
Aris said.
Speaking on the sidelines of a Fire Safety Order 2016 briefing at the
multipurpose hall of the Fire and Rescue Headquarters yesterday, he
said the first phase of the order has already begun.
Yesterday’s briefing was part of the first phase which is targeted towards business owners in the country.
According to a previous report, business owners are required to apply for the fire safety certification for their premises.
“This briefing is aimed at disseminating information to the target
audience to ensure they understand and are made aware of the order,” Hj
Juni said.
He said apart from business owners, the targeted audience also
include consultants and architects in the Brunei-Muara and Temburong
district.
Through the briefing, Hj Juni said that it is hoped that the audience
will be able to understand the importance of building safety.
He said the second phase will be targeted towards the oil and gas
industry while the third phase will be for the aviation industry and the
fourth phase will be for the government sector.
“The second phase will be implemented next year,” said Hj Juni.
The briefing was delivered by Superintendent of the Fire and Rescue
Department Taib Hj Kahar, who is also the head of Fire Prevention
Division.
Section 23 of the Fire Safety Order, states that a fire certificate
is a document issued to building owners once the director of Fire and
Rescue is satisfied with the building’s compliance to “fire safety
requirements”.
Under the section, no persons are allowed to inhabit the said premises without first obtaining the certification.
The new law aims to facilitate the ease of doing business, as such,
the department will allow businesses to operate while waiting for their
application to be processed.
This also applies to existing businesses where the fire safety
certifications are now required in order to begin operations in the
country.
Under the order, it is an offence for businesses to operate without certification.
Those found guilty of the offence, will be liable to a fine not more
than $10,000, or a jail term of not more than six months, or both.
For continuing offenders, they will be liable to another fine of not
more than $1,000 for every day of the offence after conviction.
The previous report also states that the law may require business
owners to apply for two certifications namely the Fire Certificate and
the Fire Safety Certificate.
According to the Fire Safety Order, these certifications are only applicable to buildings that have more than 200 occupants.
Buildings that see a large number of visitors daily including
shopping malls and hotels are also required to apply for the fire safety
certifications.
The order was announced by the Minister of Home Affairs (MoHA) Yang
Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Kerna Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Hj Awang Abu
Bakar Apong during the Fire and Rescue department’s anniversary
celebration in April.
The next Fire Safety Order 2016 briefing will be held in Tutong on May 23 and on June 4 in Belait.
Participants of the briefing purchasing the government gazette of the Building Control Order 2014. BT/Rafidah Hamit
The Brunei Times
