*Tasks Govts to Support Safety Confabs

By Etop Ekanem

An emergency fire responder and fire captain, Mr. Charles Osawaru says “the best way to deal with fire is through prevention”.

Osawaru spoke in a recent virtual 2021 general meeting hosted by the Engr. Andrew Abanum-led Delta State branch of the Nigerian Institution of Safety Engineers (NISafetyE). The meeting was attended by fire safety personnel and stakeholders from Delta, Rivers, Lagos and Akwa-Ibom States including the Deputy National Chairman of NISafetyE, Engr. Akaninyene Ekong.

Osawaru, in his technical paper titled “Fire Safety Fundamentals” which was moderated by Engr. Francis Nuka Ibarakunye, lamented the recent Agbo fire explosion induced by gas leaks that led to several injuries and 4 fatalities to demonstrate need to prevent fire outbreaks. He stressed that fire prevention is achievable “through right knowledge about fire which includes fire chemistry, fire tetrahedron, fire elements, causes, fire theory and classes of fire”.

Osawaru, in the paper, offered ways to fight fire in the event it breaks out. Among others, he said Portable Fire Extinguishers (PFE) are a must-have at homes as is the know-how to operate same, adding that multi-purpose fire extinguishers are best for home use as it can handle all classes of fire.

While recommending CO2 fire extinguishers which does not leave residues, for electrical fires, the technical paper presenter advised against overloading cables and plugging electrical irons on extensions in place of sockets. Osawaru warned against storage of combustible liquids at home while insisting that alarms and smoke detectors be installed at homes. The paper frowned at siting gas stations around residential areas.

Tasking people to obey regulations by government agencies on fire safety, Osawaru called on government at all levels to “support national and international safety conferences critical to fine-tuning skills and knowledge as well as building NISafetyE capacity to engage in cutting edge research for a safer society”.