ASSESSMENT OF PREVENTIVE MEASURES ON FIRE SAFETY: CASE STUDY, ACCRA TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY

Abstract

The study was set to assess the preventive measures of fire safety: case study, Accra Technical University. The research intends explicitly to identify the main causes of fire outbreaks, identify some effective measures to assess fire safety and give the best recommendations to overcome fire outbreaks at the university. The mixed method was adopted, comprising quantitative and qualitative methods for this research. A quantitative approach was used through field survey questionnaire distribution on the Google form platform to students and staff of Accra Technical University. The qualitative data was obtained through critical action research, including physical observation, which paved the way to gain in-depth knowledge about the existing fire safety measure at the Accra Technical University through narrative analysis. The data was analysed using IBM SPSS Version 26.0 for Windows, and Microsoft Excel generated frequencies percentages in tables where descriptive statistics were performed. The study revealed that power fluctuation, electrical appliance overload, lack of maintenance of electrical wiring, and the negligence of individuals were the main attributes. The study recommends regular firefighting audits, adequate fire safety awareness, fire alarms and smoke detection systems; proper electrical wiring requires regular attention. However, the university authorities should commend an emergency communication system and fire exits for overcoming fire outbreak eventualities.