Fire safety reminder (Updated)

PUTRAJAYA: Owners of buildings or houses with polythene cladding should get the material replaced with certified non-flammable materia and contact the nearest Fire and Rescue Department.
Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Minister Tan Sri Noh Omar said this would prevent potential disasters or tragedies.
Confirming that the use of illegal polystyrene foam cladding had caused the fire at the Employees Provident Fund office in Jalan Gasing, Petaling Jaya, he said the department can’t be expected to conduct spot checks on every building.
“The department gives its approval for buildings after initial inspections. However, the proprietors later make renovations to enhance the buildings’ look and use flammable materials such as these without going through the department,” he said at the ministry here today.
Also present was department director-general Datuk Wan Mohd Nor Ibrahim.
Under the Fire Services Act 1988, designated buildings are subjected to an annual inspection by the department for a fire certification that the premises “comply with the fire prevention, fire protection and fire-fighting requirements”.
Noh warned that those who failed to get the flammable materials replaced could be punished under the law.
Noh also cited last year’s tragic Grenfell Tower fire in London which killed 71 people as well as the 2016 fire which engulfed the Kuala Lumpur library as examples of fires cause by similar cladding material.
Noh stated there was no criminal element behind Tuesday’s incident and that the fire was “accidental in nature”.
“The fire had occurred during waterproofing works conducted by a contractor who used granule bitumen membrane roll at the first floor of the building,” he said.
“Waterproofing membrane needed to be melted using a LPG-powered single burner flame gun for it to stick on the concrete floor.
“A spark from the gun ignited the cladding outside the building and caused the fire.”