FIRE SAFETY AWARENESS AND MANAGEMENT IN MULTI-STOREY STUDENTS’ HOSTELS

Abstract

Achieving an acceptable level of fire safety in university students’ hostels is of utmost importance. Fire resulting from students’ hostels can cause devastating effects if appropriate fire safety management measures are not put in place. This study presents the results of a questionnaire survey which sought to assess the perceptions of students on fire safety awareness and management in multi-storey hostels around the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) campus. Data obtained from the study was analyzed by mean score rankings and percentages. The findings of the study, showed that majority of the respondents do not attach seriousness to the issue of fire safety in the various hostels surveyed, as such, fire safety awareness and management is low amongst most of the hostel occupants. The results further showed that ‘storage of flammable materials in safe areas’, ‘provision of clear signage indicating exit routes and location of fire safety equipment’, regular inspection and maintenance of electrical installations’, ‘regular inspection and maintenance of fire safety equipment’, and ‘accessibility to fire hydrants’ are key practices which if implemented by management could control the outbreak of fire in the hostels. Although this study focuses on multi-storey students’ hostels around KNUST campus, the findings should be relevant to other hostels located within and around the campuses of other universities in Ghana.