JMBs and MCs should consider building safety audit

KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 14): Joint management bodies (JMBs) and management corporations (MCs) of strata residential buildings should consider extending their annual audit process to include building safety.

This was one of the key takeaways from the panel discussion at the EdgeProp.my Symposium 2017 “Is your home a fire hazard?” today.

The panel discussion titled “Myths vs Reality” was moderated by EdgeProp.my managing director and editor-in-chief Au Foong Yee.

The half-day symposium was organised by EdgeProp.my. The presenting sponsor was Gamuda Land while Nippon Paint Malaysia was the supporting sponsor. It was also supported by The Edge Malaysia.

* EdgeProp.my’s fire safety symposium draws over 350 attendees

* Be mindful of fire safety when renovating your home

* Property owners lack fire safety awareness

* Malaysia’s fire safety laws up to date

* Electrical safety is not as difficult as you think

* Do not ignore fire safety, take action

The panel members include Energy Commission Malaysia Department of Regulatory Electrical Safety, Equipment Unit Regulatory Officer Nor Faidarina Alias, Architect Centre accredited building inspector and trainer Anthony Lee Tee, and Fire and Rescue Department Malaysia Fire Safety Division assistant commissioner Hamdan Ali.

Lee said although there is currently no requirement for JMBs or MCs to include the building audit as part of the annual audit, it’s something worth considering. “One can get an independent expert to check the overall safety of the building,” he said.

The suggestion had come from one of the members of the audience.

“If there’s any building that needs fire safety inspection, the Fire and Rescue Department will provide the necessary service to them,” Hamdan added.

Meanwhile, Nor Faidarina noted that a number of fire incident cases were due to electric wiring problems.

She advised the public to regularly check the wiring or electric installations they have at home to ensure that they are safe.

Hamdan also reminded homeowners to annually check their fire extinguishers they have at home to make sure they function well.

In terms of the choice of fire extinguishers that one should have in hand at home, the ABC dry powder type is for fires on burnt solids while the CO2 type is dedicated for fires caused by electrical leaks. 

For the full coverage on the symposium, read the Oct 20, 2017 issue of EdgeProp.my pullout, which will be available for free download.