Corner Brook -
The Corner Brook Fire Department is reminding local churches and halls they must still adhere to safety regulations, even with the larger than normal crowds they could experience during the Christmas holiday season.
The fire department has noticed that, in an attempt to accommodate the high number of people who want to celebrate the season, many of these venues can get overcrowded.
This creates serious safety issues which have been brought to the attention of the fire department's fire prevention division. Since the onus is on the building owner to ensure the safety of the people within these structures, the fire department has issued a letter, urging proprietors to always follow the calculated safe occupancy load assigned to every building.
Adding extra chairs in aisles, which are designed to facilitate the flow of people, not only narrows those aisles. If there is an emergency, those chairs may become a hazard as people try to exit.
When no more chairs are available, churches and halls will often allow 'standing room-only' attendees, resulting in numbers which violate the National Fire Code of Canada.
"While we do understand the attempts by organizers to admit as many people as possible, their efforts cannot be permitted to contribute to a disaster should an emergency occur," stated the fire department letter.
