Joy News investigations have revealed that five of Accra’s high rise buildings owned by the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) are not safe and do not meet fire safety regulations.
This is because the fire alarm systems in these buildings are dysfunctional. Last year two separate fire incidents in two of them, the Ridge and Trust Towers, exposed the danger workers and people who transact business in these towers are exposed to.
The Trust Tower, one of five imposing high rise structures built by the Social Security and National Insurance Trust has nine floors occupied by various businesses including a bank.
It is sitting on a time bomb, fire experts told Joy News Sammy Darko.
“Our checks reveal that all the towers are not fire certified. Their fire certificates expired over two years ago and fire officials are reluctant to renew them because authorities here have failed to put in the required fire safety measures.”
Fire alarm systems at the Trust Tower are not functioning. The smoke detectors are old and out of use; the fire alarm will not go off in the event of a fire outbreak. All the emergency doors here do not have push buttons. Besides, the doors have been locked – which means in the event of a stampede those in the building will be trapped. The structure also lacks a hole rising mains to serve as a water reservoir to enable fire tenders pump water as high as the height of the building in case of fire.
The Trust Tower is not the only building without the necessary fire safety systems. The situation is almost the same at the 15-floor Ridge Tower, which houses the biggest telecom company in Ghana and a financial institution.
“I am told, over 2,000 people work in this building. The car park is full to capacity and I can see many people moving in and out of this building as they go about their duties. What they do not know however, is that their lives could be in serious danger in the event of a fire outbreak”, narrates Darko.
The malfunctioning fire alarm systems here were exposed last year when one of the offices of an insurance company caught fire. At the time of the incident the alarm systems didn’t go off. Unlike the Trust Tower, the Ridge Tower has a hole rising mains but lacks a pumping machine. The situation is even dangerous for this structure because of the unreliable water supply in the ridge area.
“Experts told me, in the event of a fire outbreak here, the highest firefighters can get to is the third floor. Remember, this tower has 15 floors. The situation is the same for Heritage, Premier and NIA Towers all belonging to SSNIT.”
Managers of the buildings, Broll Ghana Property Services say they are aware of the problem but blame it on procurement procedures. Emmanuel Caulley, Operations Manager for Broll, blames the situation on a procurement regime that he says is delaying the acquisition of needed equipment to make the buildings safe. Eva Amegashie, head of Public Affairs at SSNIT, affirms the position.
Fire experts say the longer the managers of the properties delay in securing the fire certification, the more danger they pose to tenants and members of the public as well as property.
Meanwhile, Broll also says it may have to sack occupants of the Trust Tower building for a complete refurbishment. The company says a major hurdle is to convince tenants to vacate the building while owners, SNNIT, say they are aware of the concerns and are working for a resolution.
Story by Sammy Darko/Joy News/Ghana
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