2 hrs ago
Restaurant Owners Seek Clarity on Fire Safety Rules
Restaurant owners met fire department officials to ask how to follow fire safety rules.
The meeting took place after a hotel fire in Calcutta killed nine people.
Some older buildings do not have their original approved building plans.
Officials said owners may use certain municipal records or get an accurate building plan certified instead.
Officials also explained that restaurants generally need a fire safety certificate for the building before getting a fire licence.
They are considering ways to make the applications simpler, but changes need approval.
A restaurant in a building without a fire safety certificate can still apply for a licence if it promises that required safety measures are installed.
This option currently applies to restaurants up to 2,500 square feet and with 70 seats.
Restaurant owners said clearer guidance would help them comply with the rules.
Restaurant owners met senior fire and emergency services officials on Monday to discuss safety rules and compliance challenges.
Officials said buildings lacking sanctioned plans may submit Kolkata Municipal Corporation Inspection Book records or certified as-built plans.
Abhijit Pandey said a building’s fire safety certificate is currently required before an in-building restaurant can obtain a fire licence.
Officials are considering a single application format and combining the fire safety certificate and fire licence processes, subject to approval.
Restaurants up to 2,500 square feet with 70 seats may apply for a fire licence through self-declaration if they have installed required safety measures.
- Who
- Restaurant owners, the National Restaurant Association of India’s Calcutta chapter, and senior fire and emergency services officials, including Abhijit Pandey.
- What
- They discussed fire-safety compliance, documentation, licences, certificates, and possible changes to the application process.
- Where
- Calcutta (Kolkata).
- When
- Monday; the article also says officials planned to meet central government officers on Tuesday.
- Why
- The meeting followed a deadly hotel fire and addressed restaurant owners’ questions and difficulties complying with fire-safety requirements.
Key facts
- Meeting organiser
- Calcutta chapter of the National Restaurant Association of India
- Triggering incident
- A fire at a Free School Street hotel on August 19 killed nine people.
- Alternative building documentation
- A Kolkata Municipal Corporation Inspection Book record or an as-built plan certified by the building sanctioning authority may be used when a sanctioned plan is unavailable.
- Current certificate requirement
- Abhijit Pandey said a building’s fire safety certificate is a prerequisite for a fire licence for a unit inside it.
- Proposed application change
- Officials are exploring a single application format and linking the fire safety certificate and fire licence processes; higher-level approval is required.
- Self-declaration limit
- Currently available to restaurants up to 2,500 square feet with 70 seats, provided required safety measures are installed on the premises.
Quotes
Piyush Kankaria
Head of the NRAI’s Calcutta chapter.
“If you have a restaurant in a building that does not have a fire safety certificate, you have the right to apply for a fire licence subject to a condition. You have to give an undertaking, stating that you have already installed the required fire safety measures on your premises.”
telegraphindia.com
“We believe such interactions are important in helping us stay informed, comply with the requirements and operate with greater clarity.”
telegraphindia.com
Sources
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