City wants old buildings to install sprinklers

Saturday's Fico Place fire may soon cause the BMA to require sprinklers be installed in old high-rise buildings, but one expert cautions that won't be easy.

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Forensic workers inspect the fire-ravaged Fico Place building on Asok Road and collect evidence to determine the cause of the blaze. SOMCHAI POOMLARD

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Fico fire spurs sprinkler law for over 1,000 old buildings

Kanana Katharangsiporn

City Hall will draft an ordinance demanding that more than 1,000 old buildings in Bangkok install sprinklers to prevent a recurrence of the fire that engulfed the upper floors of the Fico Place building on Saturday.

Like the 33-year-old Fico Place, the high-rises were built before the enforcement of the 1992 Building Safety Control Act.

It demands that owners install adequate sprinklers, to help prevent fires from spreading to other floors, Deputy Bangkok Governor Teerachon Manomaiphibul said yesterday.

The blaze which started on the seventh floor of the 13-storey building moved quickly to the upper floors due mainly to inflammable interior materials and the lack of a sprinkler system.

Mr Teerachon said the city council will be asked to consider a draft of a new city ordinance which will require tall buildings that were built before 1992 to comply with the 1992 Building Safety Control Act.

Before it is enforced, however, city officials will ask for cooperation from the owners of buildings more than five storeys high to install sprinklers.

Many of the buildings are located in Bangkok business areas, including Silom and Yaowarat roads, he said.

A building safety adviser, however, cautioned that it would be difficult to upgrade old structures to comply with the building safety demand.

Chollachai Thammaviwatanukul, an adviser to the Building Safety Inspectors and Officers Association, said it was not only technically difficult to install a sprinkler system in an old building but also likely to be expensive.

"It's quite difficult, particularly for a building that is being used, to have a sprinkler system installed as the system must comprise a source of water, water pump, pipes and sprinkler heads, all of which are not easy to install in existing buildings," Mr Chollachai said.

A possible alternative would be a smoke detector system with links to the property management unit, internet or mobile phone network.

It can detect smoke and raise the alarm within five minutes.

Meanwhile, police are investigating the cause of the blaze. They are looking into electrical faults and human-related causes, Thong Lor police chief Pol Col Ratthasak Raksalam said.

An initial inspection found electrical wiring on the seventh floor had been replaced before the fire broke out

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forensic – relating to the use of scientific methods to solve  crimes or to find out why something happened เกี่ยวกับนิติวิทยาศาสตร์
inspect – to look at something carefully ตรวจสอบ
ravaged – destroyed; damaged very badly  ถูกทำลาย, เสียหาย, ถูกล้างผลาญ
evidence – facts, signs or objects that make you believe that something is true หลักฐาน,ข้อแสดง
determine – to discover something by examining evidence to or calculate something กำหนด, ระบุ, แสดงผล
blaze – a large fire that cause a lot of damage เพลิง
spur – to cause something to happen ก่อให้เกิด
sprinkler – a device inside a building which automatically sprays out water if there is a rise in temperature because of a fire สปริงเกลอร์, เครื่องฉีดน้ำ
draft – to write a document, plan, etc. that may be changed before it is finally accepted ร่าง
ordinance – an order or a rule made by a government or somebody in a position of authority กฎหมาย, กฎ
recurrence – something that happens again การเกิดขึ้นอีก,การกลับมาอีก
engulf – to cover or surround something in a way that harms or destroys it ปกคลุม
high-rise – a building is very tall with many floors or levels อาคาร ซึ่งมีหลายชั้น
enforcement – the process of making sure that something happens, especially that people obey a law or rule การบังคับใช้กฎหมาย
Act – a law passed by a country’s government กฎหมาย
adequate – good enough or large enough for a particular purpose พอเพียง
spread –  to gradually affect or cover a larger area แพร่กระจาย
inflammable – of something that burns easily ไวไฟ, ติดไฟง่าย
interior – the inside of something ภายใน
material  – a substance that things can be made from วัตถุ
lack – to not have something needed  ขาด
consider – to give careful thought to something before making a decision พิจารณา
comply – to obey a rule or law or do what someone asks you to do  ปฏิบัติตาม (กฎหมาย, ข้อเสนอ, etc.)
cooperation – a situation in which people or organisations work together to achieve a result that will benefit all of them  การร่วมมือกัน
storey – a level in a building ชั้นของตึกหรืออาคาร
located – where something is ตั้งอยู่
adviser – a person who gives advice, especially somebody who knows a lot about a particular subject ที่ปรึกษา
caution – to warn; to tell someone about a danger or problem that they need to know about or avoid เตือน
upgrade – to make a piece of machinery, computer system, etc. more powerful and efficient ยกระดับ
structure – something large such as a building or a bridge that is built from different parts โครงสร้าง
comprise – to consist or be made up of two or more things ประกอบด้วย
source – the place something comes from แหล่ง
alternative – another choice ตัวเลือก / ทางเลือก
detector – a device used to find particular substances or things, or measure their level เครื่องตรวจจับ
link – a connection ความเชื่อมโยงกัน
detect – to find or prove that something is present พบ
alarm – a piece of electrical equipment that warns you of danger, especially by making a loud noise  สัญญาณเตือนภัย
meanwhile – at the same time ในเวลาเดียวกัน
investigate – to try to find out the facts about something in order to learn the truth about it ตรวจสอบหาความจริง
fault – something that is wrong or not perfect; something that is wrong with a machine or system that stops it from working correctly ข้อผิดพลาด, ข้อบกพร่อง
initial – early; first  เบื้องต้น
replace – to put something new in place of something old  นำสิ่งใหม่มาใช้แทน