New Delhi, April 2 (PTI) The Delhi government has ordered the fire safety audit of all its buildings, with focus on hospitals and health centres, by the Public Works Department (PWD), officials said on Wednesday.

The audit will cover all safety aspects, including verifying the presence and functionality of fire prevention measures such as fire alarms, sprinkler systems, and fire extinguishers.

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"The fire audit should focus on assessing the fire safety measures in place, identifying potential fire hazards, and recommending corrective actions to ensure compliance with fire safety norms," PWD principal secretary said in an order.

The audit exercise is to be completed by April 15, it added.

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For fire detection and alarm, the PWD officials have been directed to inspect the functionality of fire detection and alarm systems and ensure they are regularly tested and maintained.

The emergency evacuation plans of the buildings will be reviewed to ensure they are in place, regularly practised and communicated to all occupants. The exercise will also verify that all occupants, including employees and visitors, have received adequate fire safety awareness, officials said.

A team of experts, including fire safety professionals and engineers, will be formed for conducting the audit with a comprehensive checklist to ensure that all aspects of fire safety are covered during the audit. A detailed audit report on the findings along with recommendations for corrective actions, will be submitted to the Delhi Fire Services (DFS) and the PWD, they said.

Earlier, the DFS issued a directive to all the civic bodies. This latest order is based on an earlier directive issued by the DFS to all the civic bodies last month for the audit of electrical work in all buildings under their jurisdiction.

Director of Fire Services Atul Garg highlighted the need and importance of conducting electrical work audit in buildings, particularly in hospitals, pointing 70 per cent of fire incidents occur due to faulty electrical works and lines.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)