NIGHTCLUB owners are playing with the lives of thousands of people, the Fire Services warned yesterday.
Despite Fire Services directives on safety, many establishments have not implemented the safety directives, after the latest checks were carried out by the Fire Services on 84 clubs across the island five months ago.
Among those, 15 were found to be in violation of the safety directives, resulting in the lives of their customers being put at risk on a daily basis.
Fire Services spokesman Stelios Stylianou said yesterday: “there are difficulties in controlling and punishing nightclubs that don’t comply with the regulations, as the Fire Service does not itself have legal authority. The relevant authorities are the district officers and the mayors.”
He added that, “when a building is turned into a nightclub, the plans are submitted to the Fire Services by the local authorities. After they’ve been studied, we indicate the important fire safety points that need to be addressed and we go to the site and check to see if the regulations have been implemented.
“We will then recommend to the authorities whether we believe the nightclub should receive a license. If the Fire Service’s recommendations have not been followed, the local, district officers reserve the right to withhold the licence or withdraw it.”
In order for the Fire Services to make on-the-spot checks, they must be accompanied by the police, as well as a representative of the Cyprus Tourism Organisation.
“There is a case in Paphos where a nightclub is operating without a licence and everybody knows this. We suggested that it be shut down, but the authorities have not listened to us,” said Stylianou.
Of the 15 nightclubs that did not comply with fire regulations, Stylianou said: “some of these had fenced and chained exit points, so if a fire broke out, it would have been impossible for the public to be evacuated.” Other violations were also found.
The Fire Services visited the 15 nightclubs a week later and found that improvements and changes had been made.
The public should be aware of fire regulations when visiting nightclubs with the Fire Services recommending several measures which would improve safety.
These include adequate fire extinguishers, better-lit and unlocked exit points, gas cylinders used in kitchens being kept outside the premises and appropriate emergency lighting in the case of a power cut, enabling people to safely evacuate the building.
Stylianou added that public buildings, restaurants and petrol stations are checked once a year by the Fire Services while hotels are inspected every two years.
The need for greater fire safety standards is highlighted by the high number of deadly nightclub fires around the world.
Last year, nearly 200 New Year revellers were killed in a nightclub in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The disaster, sparked by a flare launched during a concert, was compounded by the conditions inside. The club was filled beyond its capacity and some emergency exits were said to have been locked. In February 2003, 96 people were killed in a fire in a nightclub in Rhode Island, USA. The club did not have a sprinkler system installed.
