On January 24, Beijing's municipal bureaus of parks, culture and
commerce jointly announced new safety regulations for public places
likely to get crowded. They will come into effect on March 24 and
emphasize fire safety and mass evacuation in case of emergency.
At the same news conference, organized by the city's Committee
of Safety at Work, Vice Mayor Lu Hao said the establishment of
long-term mechanisms depends on detailed and basic measures.
The new regulations stipulate that:
During "golden week" holidays, important festivals and large
scale activities, emergency measures must be taken should the
density of people surpass one person per square meter indoors or
one per 0.75 square meters in the open air. Measures should include
the closure of parks and exhibitions, and the evacuation of
tourists. Specific staff should be designated to monitor crowd
densities.
Evacuation routes in department stores should lead directly to
exits and should not be narrower than 2.4 meters. Supermarkets with
an area of more than 3,000 square meters should have evacuation
lanes at both ends of their cash registers, and they should be
clearly signed and not narrower than 1.5 meters.
The ratio of shopping carts to the area of evacuation lanes
should be kept below 10 carts per 100 square meters.
All restaurants must be equipped with an audio warning system.
In case of emergency, the alarm should be audible in every corner
of the restaurant, including enclosed dining rooms.
Restaurants with more thanĀ 10 enclosed rooms should have
warning devices and a map of emergency exits in each room. There
should be no less than two exits in areas where food and beverages
are served.
Cinemas should ensure the orderly entry of audiences and assign
each person a seat. There should be more than 20 minutes between
shows. Emergency lighting should be installed near stairs,
evacuation lanes and exits, and should be attached to walls no
higher than one meter. Rechargeable emergency lights should be
powerful and able to last for at least 20 minutes in case of power
failure.
Profitable public venues such as theaters must pass fire
security checks before opening. Their stages, screens and curtains
should be fireproof and, during business hours, designated staff
should make fire safety checks throughout the venue once every two
hours.
The halls and compartments of karaoke lounges are often so loud
that alarms could be missed by customers. Proprietors must install
special alarm systems that replace karaoke audio and visual output
instead of competing with them.
Internet cafes and other computer-based venues should guarantee
that exits and evacuation lanes are unobstructed. Exits must not be
locked, blocked or installed with enclosed or barred windows.
Electric cables should be laid in strict accordance with national
regulations, whilst smoking and non-electric lighting are
prohibited. "No smoking" signs should be clearly displayed.
Before coming into effect on March 24, the regulations will be
treated as guidelines. Once they are in force, amendments may be
added.
(China.org.cn by Wind Gu, January 26, 2005)