Before the recent incident of a girl climbing over the railing and falling from the 13th floor of apartment 60B Nguyen Huy Tuong (Hanoi), Associate Professor - Dr. According to the Ministry of Construction (Ministry of Construction), currently the standards and regulations issued by the Ministry of Construction ensure the ability to prevent unsafety from happening to human life, however, at the building, the incident occurred. need to specifically consider compliance with these standards and regulations.
In the Vietnam Construction Regulations (QCXDVN 05:2008/BXD) on housing and public works - life safety and health, it is clear that there must be railings to block the empty edges of floors, balconies, and loggias. , roofs (including skylights and other openings), and other pedestrianized areas.
In parking garages, there must be railings where there are people walking, but it is not mandatory on ramps used only for vehicular traffic and in loading and unloading areas.
At the apartment building where a 3-year-old boy fell from the 12th floor, the railings of many households are not safe Photo: HUY THANH
Along with that, the minimum height for railings for houses, offices, schools, offices and public works for loggias and terraces at locations from 9 floors or more is 1, 4m; steps, ramp is 0.9m and other positions are 1.1m.
The Regulation also states that the handrail must be able to withstand the impact of the horizontal force specified in the relevant Regulation; Do not make the handrail wide on top to avoid people sitting or lying down. If glass is used in the railings, it is necessary to comply with the safety regulations on glass use specified in this Regulation.
For works used by children under 5 years old, the railing must be structured so that it is not easy for children to climb over, that is, cross bars should not be arranged so that children can climb over the railing with their feet and have no holes to enter. 100mm diameter ball.
According to Mr. Tran Chung, the regulation on the railing with a minimum height of 1.4m is taking into account the height of Vietnamese people. Along with that, according to the promulgated regulations, it is also clear about the detailed structures of the railing so that children do not climb over, each railing must be poured hard so that it cannot be bent.
Thus, compliance with these standards in the system of construction works within the specified objects requires the assessment of functional agencies, appraisal and supervision units and, importantly, the voluntary compliance. of investors, construction contractors…
In fact, the railing is also a place of escape if an incident such as a fire occurs. The additional adjustment of the height of the lanyard must also ensure that the clearance distance is suitable for the exit plan.
Experience from families living in apartments shows that, whether or not the family has children living in the apartment, it is advisable to add a safety solution to the plot or window by stretching a soft mesh. This is a thin cable that is stretched according to the distance ratio of about 5cm, with horizontal knitting to limit buckling.
The advantage of this material over other types of iron cages such as "tiger cages" appearing in many old apartment buildings in the past is that it can be quickly removed in case of need to escape; limit the flying of clothes when drying outside the loggia; creating a sense of security for the user… The protective nets themselves, when stretched, do not reduce aesthetics.
In Circular 21/2019/TT-BXD on National Technical Regulations on Apartment Buildings issued by the Ministry of Construction, it is also detailed that even windows of apartment buildings and mixed-use apartment buildings are only be made a flip door or a sliding door with a safety gate when opening. The position of the door opening and closing controls must comply with the regulations in QCXDVN 05:2008/BXD.
For apartments without a balcony or loggia, at least one window must be arranged on the outer wall of the house with a small opening hole size (600×600 mm0 for emergency and rescue purposes.
Fences, balcony railings and loggias, including the height from the floor to the underside of the door hole/window sill in the apartment building, mixed-use apartment building must not be less than 1.4 m.
The system of standard documents of the Ministry of Construction on the design and construction of apartments, high-rise buildings, safety issues is quite complete, but in reality, there have been many tragic incidents and accidents in recent years. especially with young children.
Thus, the safety protection from the loggias still needs the consciousness of the people living here. In addition to the protection by the safety net, many people believe that it is absolutely not advisable to place and arrange objects outside the loggia, close to the railing to avoid climbing of small children, avoiding unfortunate accidents. /.
Thu Hang/VNA