MNO2603 Assignment 3 (COMPLETE ANSWERS) Semester 2 2024 - DUE 10 September 2024
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Course
Safety Management IIA (MNO2603)
Institution
University Of South Africa
In Focus: What the Charlotte Maxeke fire tells us about health and safety in Gauteng hospitals Just weeks before a fire tore through parts of Charlotte Maxeke Hospital in Johannesburg on 16 April, a fire safety audit at the hospital was signed off and in March a hospital fire and safety team met, a...
Assignment 3 Semester 2 2024 Due Date: 10 September 2024
, MNO2603
Assignment 3 Semester 2 2024
Due Date: 10 September 2024
Question 1: Issues Surrounding the Outbreak and Control of Fires in Buildings
The article highlights several critical issues surrounding the outbreak and control of fires
in buildings, particularly within Gauteng hospitals:
1. Non-Functional Fire Safety Equipment: Key fire safety systems, such as
smoke doors and fire hydrant couplings, were found to be non-functional at
Charlotte Maxeke Hospital. The smoke doors, crucial for preventing the spread of
smoke during a fire, were not operational due to a malfunctioning magnetic
system. Additionally, fire hydrant couplings were incompatible with Johannesburg
Fire Service fire hoses, partly due to theft (Kekana, 2024).
2. Lack of Emergency Preparedness: The firefighters arriving at Charlotte
Maxeke Hospital during the April 16 fire were not provided with essential building
and floor plans, which are crucial for executing an effective emergency exit
strategy. This lack of preparedness severely hampered their ability to manage
the situation (Anonymous Firefighters, 2024).
3. Widespread Fire Safety Compliance Failures: The issues at Charlotte Maxeke
are part of a broader problem of non-compliance with fire safety standards in
public buildings across Johannesburg. For example, lifts that have not been
serviced, obstructed fire escapes, neglected fire extinguishers, and inactive
safety committees are widespread concerns (Richard, 2024).
4. Inadequate Firefighting Resources: The City of Johannesburg’s fire services
are severely under-resourced, with only four working fire trucks for the entire city
and an aging, insufficient fleet. This inadequacy became evident during the
Charlotte Maxeke fire, where the limited water capacity of the available fire trucks
was insufficient to control the blaze (Nathi, 2024).
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