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[av_heading heading=’How ‘fire-safe’ are Iloilo City BPOs? ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”]
BY CAROLYN JANE ABELLO
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ILOILO City – How safe from fire are the business process outsourcing (BPO) companies in this city?
Mayor Jose Espinosa III ordered the Bureau of Fire Protection and Iloilo City Police Office to inspect BPOs following a mall fire that killed 38 call center agents in Davao City on Dec. 23.
Among others, they have to check if the BPOs have fire exits and if these are serviceable, said Espinosa.
Fire safety standards must be met, he stressed.
For example, fire exits should be well-lighted so that if brownout occurs or if there is fire, the staff can easily see them and escape, said Espinosa.
The Department of Labor and Employment’s occupational safety and health standard checklist requires all work establishments to have fire inspection certificate, fire protection equipment/facilities, fire extinguishers, fire hoses, fire detection devices, emergency exits, adequate aisles, passageways, proper office spacing, good housekeeping, materials handling and storage, waste disposal system, adequate lighting, work environment measure, noise pollution control, proper ventilation and safety and health organization plan among others.
Call center agents’ safety should be ensured while working, especially during nighttime, said Espinosa.
The mayor also said the BFP should conduct fire drills in BPOs.
Iloilo City fire marshal Chief Inspector Bartolome Beliran assured residents the fire bureau has a “periodic inspection” of buildings, particularly malls with call centers.
“Year-round ga-conduct kita fire safety inspection sa tanan nga buildings but because of this (Davao fire), nag-conduct pa gid kita subong focusing sa malls,” said Beliran.
A fire inspection is a prerequisite to the issuance of a fire safety certificate.
Buildings found to have not met fire safety standards are issued with notices and obliged to meet the requirements.
“We can avoid fires similar to Davao’s if the fire protection systems of buildings are well-maintained and na-follow kung ano ang fire safety requirements,” said Beliran.
In the Davao fire, the call center agents who died worked for the US-based Research Now SSI, which leased the fourth floor of NCCC Mall as their office space.
According to BFP Davao regional director Wilberto Kwan Tiu, the call center agents might have died because of suffocation.
But some locals claimed survivors of the tragedy complained they had difficulty getting through the mall’s fire exits. (With a report from Merianne Grace J. Ereñeta, Iloilo City PIO)/PN
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