ASSESSMENT OF FIRE SAFETY MANAGEMENT PRACTICES IN SELECTED HIGH RISE BUILDINGS IN ABUJA ABSTRACT

Abstract

Fire causes huge losses every year, typically measured by property loss, human dearths and injuries. Highrise buildings have received considerable attention in the fire safety world over decades across the globe because the effect of fire outbreak is not limited to building or occupants alone, even the community around is concerned with fire safety. The study is aim at assessing fire safety management practices in high-rise buildings in Abuja. Purposive sampling technique was used for the selection of high-rise buildings, while simple random technique was employed for the selection of the respondents for questionnaire administration which included occupants and users of the buildings. The study revealed that in spite of the availability of the firefighting equipment majority of the respondents could not handle fire safety equipment and also incapable of discerning the required action to take in the event of fire incidents and even ensured about their functionality. However, there are different factors affecting the integration of fire safety equipment in high-rise buildings, but size of building, type of building, type of occupant/complexity of building are considered the most impacting factors. The study recommended that the functionality of installed basic fire safety equipment should be ensured and that regular maintenance of the equipment should be carried out to quarantee the safety of lives and properties in fire situation