FIRE SAFETY REGULATIONS AND PREVENTION OF FIRE OUTBREAK IN UNIVERSITY HOSTELS (CASE STUDY OF UNIVERSITY OF MAIDUGURI)

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the study

According to Huseyin and Satyen (2006), fire is necessary for the evolution of society since it has made a substantial contribution to human civilization. Despite its positive contributions to human civilization, fire poses a hazard to human life and property (Chow, 2004). The recent fire outbreak in the nation demonstrates the destructive effect of fire on society. According to Ismail and Taib (2013), a fire breakout is one of the world's most dreaded calamities, owing to its disastrous results whenever it happens. Another reason why fire breakout is a dreaded calamity, according to Agyekum et al. (2016). The author claimed that the fire may start in any kind of structure, including bungalows, terraces, duplexes, tenements, and high-rises. According to Hall (2000), fire outbreaks in high-rise buildings are the worst when compared to other types of structures. Numerous research have been conducted to determine the causes of the significant fire outbreaks in high-rise structures. Hopkin (2017), for example, believes that high-rise buildings have a greater stack effect, which stimulates the passage of a big volume of heat and smoke during a fire. According to Sano et al. (2017), fire outbreaks are worse in high-rise structures because the building's form prevents an easy path out in the case of a fire. According to Huo et al. (2016), a huge number of people in high-rise structures adds to fire outbreaks becoming devastating. This is due to the fact that most people panic during a fire, resulting in stampedes or incorrect actions during the fire. As a result, it is acceptable to conclude that a large number of people living in high-rise buildings increases the severity of a fire. Academic hostels, according to Ismail and Taib (2013), are characterized by a huge number of persons inhabiting such structures. Other features of academic hostels were supplied by Agyekum et al. (2016), who determined that the majority of them are high-rise structures. According to Ebenehi et al. (2017), universities, polytechnics, and other educational institutions develop high-rise structures with the goal of accommodating more students in a smaller area. Student enrollment in higher education has been expanding globally in recent years, and it is expected to continue to increase (Salakpi et al., 2014). As a consequence of this phenomena, university officials are faced with the task of managing a limited number of available housing units among a high number of students. Due to the enormous number of students inhabiting a single structure, fire outbreaks are a serious concern for hostel administration (Agyekum et al., 2016). In order to combat the threat of a fire breaking out in a dormitory, most higher education institutions have implemented a fire safety culture (Zile, 2018). The term "fire safety" refers to the decrease of the risk of death or injury as a result of a fire in a structure (Hopkin, 2017). Although, according to Chow (2004), the risk of being killed or wounded in a fire cannot be completely eliminated. Fire safety in a building may be accomplished by include components in the design that reduce the chance of a fire spreading as much as feasible (Huo et al., 2016). Also, according to Buchanan and Abu (2017), the size of a fire breakout may be decreased only if the building is planned, built, equipped, maintained, and managed with the goal of saving the occupant's life and property. All of the aforementioned opinions point out the steps that must be taken to reduce the danger of fire from the building's viewpoint while ignoring the residents. According to Nimlyat et al. (2017), a fire breakout happens in a structure owing to the tenants' irresponsibility. According to Kim et al. (2017), even a structure with state-of-the-art fire protection equipment has a significant chance of fire breakout if the tenants do not take proper fire safety procedures. To substantiate this claim. According to Abdullahi et al. (2017), tenants of a structure with a fire breakout are more likely to be injured owing to their lack of understanding of fire protection practices. As a result, this research evaluates fire safety procedures in students' different halls of residences from the viewpoint of the students. The research will disclose the student hostel's fire safety procedures as well as the students' degree of comprehension of the fire control mechanisms in place to prevent fire spread. Students will benefit from the study's conclusions about the importance of fire safety practices.

1.2 Statement of the problem

A source of ignition must provide precise circumstances for fire to develop. As a result of design decisions, these circumstances are accidentally present in all structures (Kim, 2017). As a result, depending on what triggered the fire, it might start at any moment in a structure. A thorough examination of both private and public dormitories found that nothing has been done to incorporate fire safety into building design. The majority of hostels have just one entrance and exit, and others include burglary proofs that make it difficult to evacuate in the event of a fire. To aid in the control of fire spread, no compartmentalization was used in the building design. In addition, the volume of shops in certain hostels makes evacuation difficult in the event of a fire. Furthermore, the building materials utilized in the construction of the majority of the hostels investigated are not fire resistant, but rather will assist in the event of a fire  (Kim, 2017). It is required that university administration have a fire department and equipment that can be utilized to put out fires, such as water, fire extinguishers, fire trucks, and certified staff. However, this is not the case, as many university administrations have implemented fire safety regulations and even put in place preventive measures. However, there are several impediments, including a lack of funding, student carelessness, and the school administration's casual attitude toward fire prevention and the purchase of fire equipment  (Kim, 2017).

1.3 Objective of the study

The primary objective of the study is as follows

1.        To investigate if there is a fire safety department in the University of Maiduguri.

2.        To examine the fire safety regulations put in place to prevent against fire outbreak in the University of Maiduguri.

3.        To find out the causes of fire outbreak in school hostels.

4.        To examine the effect of fire outbreak in school hostels.

1.4 Research Questions

The following questions have been prepared

1)        Is there a fire safety department in the University of Maiduguri?

2)        Is there a fire safety regulations put in place to prevent against fire outbreak in the University of Maiduguri?

3)        What are the  the causes of fire outbreak in school hostels?

4)        What are the effect of fire outbreak in school hostels?

1.5 Significance of the study

This study examines Fire safety regulations and prevention of fire outbreak in University Hostels.

This study will be significant to ministry of fire service as it will see the need to purchase the needed equipment to fight fire outbreak.

This study will be of benefit to the academic community as it will contribute to the existing literature.

1.6 Scope of the study

This study focuses on Fire safety regulations and prevention of fire outbreak in University Hostels. The study will also investigate if there is a fire safety department in the University of Maiduguri. The study will further, examine the fire safety regulations put in place to prevent against fire outbreak in the University of Maiduguri. More so, the study will find out the causes of fire outbreak in school hostels. Lastly, the study will  examine the effect of fire outbreak in school hostels.

1.7       Limitation of the study

This study was constrained by a number of factors which are as follows:

Just like any other research, ranging from unavailability of needed accurate materials on the topic under study, inability to get data

Financial constraint , was faced by  the researcher ,in getting relevant materials  and  in printing and collation of questionnaires

Time factor: time factor pose another constraint since having to shuttle between writing of the research and also engaging in other academic work making it uneasy for the researcher

1.9       Definition of terms

Fire safety regulation: Fire safety refers to planning and infrastructure design aimed at reducing the risk of fire or impeding the spread of a fire when one does break out.

Fire outbreaks: inflammable petroleum or other liquid used as a weapon of war in flamethrowers, etc.