2023-08-22 14:46:15
It was the fire in an apartment building in Ganshoren at the end of June that prompted the tenants’ union to hit the nail on the head of one of its old demands. He has launched an online petition addressed to the Brussels State Secretary for Housing, the socialist Nawal Ben Hamou, in which he demands “a detailed audit of fire safety in the large apartment blocks, both in terms of the private sector and social housing, this on the scale of the Region“. An audit that would be at the same time mandatory, systematic and repeated regularly.
“What you need to know, is that security depends on the year of construction of the dwellings. Therefore, the older a home is, the less secure it is. Even if it is standard“, explains the general secretary of the tenants’ union José Garcia. “One might think that since there are new standards, they apply to the whole dwelling. Nay. This is not the case. The old standards insofar as they have been respected remain valid for these buildings. For us it is unacceptable“.
One might think that the new standards apply to the whole of the dwelling. Nay.
José Garcia, general secretary of the tenants’ union
The most problematic buildings today are undoubtedly those that were built before the Royal Decree of 4 April 1972 (which sets the general conditions relating to fire protection in tall buildings). In these buildings, one should not expect too much to find two separate evacuation routes, nor, moreover, a smoke evacuation system. It was also in 1972 that the obligation of fire doors arrived. For the more technical standards relating to the materials used and the smoke detection systems, it will even be necessary to wait for the Royal Decree of July 7, 1994 (and subsequent modifications).
A reality, however, to qualify since in case of renovation subject to permit, the building must – as during a new construction – be the subject of a visit of Siamu. Firefighters are responsible for issuing an opinion. But once more, this is just an opinion.
It is precisely to identify each situation individually that the tenants’ syndicate wishes for each large residential building an examination of the risks of fire, an evaluation of the effectiveness of the protection systems, and proposals for avenues of improvement.
The region is launching a study
In Siamu, we find the suggestion rather good, even if the priority remains the establishment of a real legal basis: minimum regulations in terms of fire prevention. It is moreover with this objective that he pleaded for a study to be carried out on tall buildings from before 1972 on a regional scale.
A request visibly heard, since the cabinet of Nawal Ben Hamou announces, in consultation with that of the secretary of state Ans Persoons, the launch in 2024 of a vast study to assess security “high residential buildings (height of more than 25m), built before 1972, in order to have a photo of the existing situation and to have recommendations for improvement“. The study will be carried out by an external service provider via a public contract (the administration is in the process of drafting the specifications). The study should last 12 months.
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