Employee perspectives on fire safety at workplaces in India: An empirical study

Fires in India account for the loss of property and lives as seen in examples of the AMRI Hospital Fire in Kolkata, Kamala mills fires at Mumbai, Carlton Tower fire in Bengaluru, etc. Hence, it is important to prepare strategies for minimizing fire incidents when possible, example workplaces. In this regard, this research study was undertaken to assess the present status of knowledge regarding fire safety practices at the Indian workplace. The assessment will help in initiation of better action strategies towards fire risk management and mitigation. In this study, employee perspectives regarding fire safety and awareness at workplaces were collected and analysed. This paper provides information about workplace fire safety protocols, preparedness of employees to handle emergency and personal coping strategies when faced with workplace fires. The study found that while most employees were aware of personal safety procedures; the awareness regarding usage of fire safety aids was lacking. Ultimately, workplace safety procedures need to be enhanced in certain cases to effectively combat and deal with future fire incidents.