In the wake of occupational accidents and fire disasters that have plunged Türkiye into grief, scientists have taken action for a permanent solution. Dr. Rüştü Uçan, President of the MESKA Foundation and Head of the Department of Occupational Health and Safety at Üsküdar University, announced that a team of 30 experts, led by Instructor Abdurrahman İnce, has prepared a comprehensive draft report aiming to make legally binding the vital safety rules concerning welding and similar “hot work” operations.
Emphasizing that the 250-page study they prepared should not remain merely a “guide” or “manual,” but must be turned into a legally binding regulation, Dr. Rüştü Uçan said: “What we want is a regulation that will be applied mandatorily. It should be stated clearly: ‘You cannot start this work without complying with these rules.’ We no longer want to appear on television after such tragic incidents. Let us take the necessary precautions beforehand.”
Dr. Rüştü Uçan further added: “The Ministry of Labor and Social Security should take this draft study that we have submitted into consideration and implement a ‘Hot Work Permit Regulation.’”
Scientists take action for a permanent solution
Dr. Rüştü Uçan explained that they prepared the draft to be submitted to the Ministry of Labor and Social Security: “Under the leadership of Insturcot Abdurrahman İnce, who previously worked as an instructor at the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Fire Department and currently teaches at the Department of Occupational Health and Safety at Üsküdar University, a team of 30 academics, industry experts who actually perform this work, and with the support of a few colleagues from the Ministry, we prepared this study.
Our goal is this: after many fires, we are often called to comment. We then share our thoughts with the media. But this should not be the case. As scientists, as a working group, we must state in advance what needs to be done, and actions must be taken accordingly so that such incidents do not occur. Consider the nightclub fire where 29 people died. If that fire had started when the venue was at full capacity with 1,000 people inside, the death toll would have been enormous. It was such a major and dangerous fire. Fires like the one at Haydarpaşa Train Station or Galatasaray University could also have been prevented if a Hot Work Permit Regulation had been in place and properly applied.”
Draft based on regulations applied in the u.s. for 60 years
Dr. Rüştü Uçan explained that the foundation of their study is the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) regulations, which have been in effect in the U.S. for 60 years and updated 8 times. He stressed that there is a major legal gap in Türkiye on this matter:
“When hot work is to be carried out, such as welding or similar tasks, the U.S. introduced a regulation 60 years ago, and without applying this regulation, they absolutely do not issue a hot work permit. We are saying: let us adapt this to Türkiye.
Currently, in Türkiye, if mandatory hot work is to be performed by welding or any other form, since we do not have such a permitting procedure, as soon as flames ignite, the fire grows rapidly, as seen in the nightclub fire. We translated the NFPA regulations, which have been implemented in the U.S. for 60 years. At the same time, we examined and translated how such practices are carried out abroad, in Japan and other European countries, and compiled them into a structured draft. We submitted this to the Ministry. Our goal here is for the Ministry to make this part of legislation that everyone will be required to follow.”
The 11-meter rule saves lives!
Highlighting the simple yet life-saving rules underlying the proposed regulation, Dr. Rüştü Uçan, Assistant Professor, said: “There must be no flammable materials within 11 meters of the area where hot work is to be carried out. If you cannot remove the flammable material, you must cover it with a non-combustible screen. If such a protective measure had been taken within 11 meters at the nightclub fire in Beşiktaş, the fire would not have started. If hot work is to be carried out, someone who knows how to extinguish a fire must be on standby with a fully charged fire extinguisher. This way, if a fire breaks out, that person will immediately stop it. Preparations necessary to prevent a fire must be made in advance.”
It must become a legally mandatory regulation
Emphasizing that the 250-page study they prepared should not remain merely a “guide” or “manual” but must be turned into a legally binding regulation, Dr. Rüştü Uçan concluded his remarks as follows: “What we want is a regulation that will be enforced mandatorily. It must be stated: ‘You cannot start this work without complying with these requirements.’ If you do start, then in the event of a major fatal accident, those who initiated the work without the permit, along with the management, will be directly responsible. We no longer want to appear on television after tragic incidents. What we want is the implementation of such a mandatory work permit system in Türkiye. The Ministry of Labor and Social Security must take into account the draft study we submitted to them and put into effect a ‘Hot Work Permit Regulation.’”
Üsküdar News Agency (ÜNA)