Fire Safety in Buildings in Vietnam

Basic fire safety precautions in buildings are often lacking, however, some large commercial buildings have some form of smoke or heat detection systems. I experienced staying in six hotels in Vietnam. These ranged from single storey to eight storeys. Without exception they were characterised by a single means of egress, no alarm or early warning system of any type and poor smoke-stopping between rooms and egress stairs. A new five storey hotel building in Sapa was subject to frequent power cuts necessitating candles to be used as “emergency lighting” on each floor in the egress route.

There are internationally recognised standards for fire safety in buildings, and the information is freely available to building engineers in any country providing they and their respective political systems will allow the free interchange of intellectual information and ideas (Walls, 2001). This obviously does not happen in Vietnam. Despite this, there is clear evidence that most accommodation buildings in Vietnam are seriously lacking in safety features. Engineers are unlikely to be involved and if they were, would be likely to be under-educated and able to be “bought”.

The same problem applies to retail and commercial buildings where there are large occupant numbers. A sad example of this became known on 29 October 2002 when fire engulfed a six-storey commercial building in Ho Chi Minh City during the afternoon. In excess of 60 people died in that disaster.

Fire in buildings is taking too many lives. The major cause is that buildings often do not have the required fire safety features and adequate means of escape. There appear to be no clear requirements that any authorities are prepared to enforce. In such cases, current fire engineering knowledge and standards are being disregarded. This applies particularly to many Asian countries. It is certainly the case in Vietnam where a “lack of enforcement of building regulations flows from the chaotic construction and urban development associated with the Government’s desire to attract foreign investment by offering cheap labour” (Divjak, 2002).

While it is not for others to tell Vietnam or any other country how to do things, with globilisation comes a need to be cognisant of international standards and opinion. While the people in Vietnam are wonderful to be with and it is a fascinating country, travelling there has its risks. Being hit while crossing the roads is a high risk but the one to be feared most is probably the fire danger of most of their buildings.

Vietnam appears to face similar problems that are faced in many underdeveloped countries. The problems are similar to those faced in India and reported on in relation to the Gujarat earthquake of 2001.

Unfortunately, reports and recommendations of experts seem to have collected dust and got buried in the archives. Hence, the wealth of knowledge and experience available in India , as a different example, remains far from effective realisation for the benefit of the society (Walls & Mujoo, 2002).

However, the process of obtaining building permits and enforcement of codes and standards for design and construction of the majority of buildings is lax (in India), as I also experienced in Vietnam.

If Vietnam had the political will, engineers from developed countries could assist in all aspects of building and construction. There have been some assisting for a number of years. It seems, however, the best chance of success is by providing engineering and building education at all levels to local engineers and bureaucrats who are willing and able to enforce appropriate standards.