Fire puts focus on failings
The tragic Bank of Lisbon blaze shows up serious safety gaps and fire-engine shortages as well as deep political fault lines
On Wednesday last week a perfect storm was brewing as firefighters from the Johannesburg Emergency Services went up to the 23rd floor of the Bank of Lisbon to battle a blaze that had erupted in the downtown building.
It was a day on which there were three other fires being fought in Johannesburg, according to the city’s public safety MMC, Michael Sun.
While the inferno blazed the firefighters went up to do what they were trained for, ready with a hose reel to battle the fire that had started on a floor where documents were stored and was full of paper that fuelled the flames.
But when the fire hose was opened, no water came out.
Three firefighters died in the unfolding drama: Simphiwe Moropane, 28; Khathutshelo Muedi, 37; and Mduduzi Ndlovu, 40.
One of the firefighters fell to his death from the 23rd floor. The others died after being trapped inside the building. The fire raged on for more than 48 hours.
For Sun, everything that could go wrong did go wrong that day.
It emerged that the Bank of Lisbon building had become a death trap. It did not comply with the Occupational Health & Safety Act: it was only 21% compliant, when
85% is required. The dangers had been flagged years before.
The Gauteng government had also known that the building did not meet safety standards.
Ironically, the occupants of this terminally sick structure included the provincial government’s health department. It also housed the departments of human settlements and co-operative governance & traditional affairs (Cogta).
The department of infrastructure development was well on its way to finding new offices for the employees in the departments of Cogta and human settlements when the fire broke out.
The building was, however, not the only noncompliant one occupied by government employees. Eight others were also identified.
On Monday the provincial government said it would evacuate tenants from the buildings that did not meet the minimum occupational health and safety standards and make them safe.
The Bank of Lisbon building and the other eight are not the only places of danger where government employees are expected to work. Last year in March, a roof