The horrific fire that occurred in a cosmetic factory in Dilovası district of Kocaeli, claiming the lives of 6 people, has been thoroughly investigated by occupational health and safety experts. Occupational Health and Safety Experts Assistant Professor Dr. Rüştü Uçan, Assistant Professor Dr. Nuri Bingöl, and Assistant Professor Dr. Hacer Kayhan stated that the fundamental causes of the incident were the location of the facility containing flammable substances, deficiencies in the licensing process, and supervisory failures, warning that the catastrophe was 'seen coming'.
Stating that the lack of emergency exits directly affected the loss of lives, Head of Occupational Health and Safety Department Assistant Professor Dr. Rüştü Uçan said, “If a fire starts near the only exit, and outsiders cannot intervene after the fire grows, we face fatalities for whoever remains inside.”
Assistant Professor Dr. Nuri Bingöl: “With simple precautions taken in advance, damage can be reduced to zero. Employers must actively involve fire departments and occupational safety specialists in the licensing and inspection processes. Establishing an explosion protection culture at the outset is much more effective and life-saving than measures taken afterwards.”
Assistant Professor Dr. Hacer Kayhan: “A person does not start a fire or a flame; negligence starts a fire.”
The horrific fire that occurred in a cosmetic factory in Dilovası district of Kocaeli, claiming the lives of 6 people, has been thoroughly investigated by occupational health and safety experts.
Assistant Professor Dr. Rüştü Uçan: “The factory does not comply with basic safety standards”
Head of the Occupational Health and Safety Department at Üsküdar Üniversitesi Faculty of Health Sciences, Assistant Professor Dr. Rüştü Uçan, raised suspicions that the facility, employing 50 people, might have been licensed as a "warehouse," stating that this situation implicates both the licensing authorities and the employer.
Assistant Professor Dr. Uçan stated that the factory does not comply with basic safety standards, saying, “This is definitely a factory. 50 people do not work in a warehouse... If it is a factory, a factory employing 50 people cannot have a single entry and exit point. A factory must have at least two or three emergency exits. There is no such thing here.”
Lack of emergency exits directly affected loss of lives
Stating that the lack of emergency exits directly affected the loss of lives, Assistant Professor Dr. Rüştü Uçan said, “If a fire starts near the only exit, and outsiders cannot intervene after the fire grows, we face fatalities for whoever remains inside.”
Uçan also drew attention to the risk of businesses with warehouse licenses not being obliged to employ occupational safety specialists, stating, “If it's a warehouse, there's no obligation to employ an occupational safety specialist. They act entirely as they please.”
Üsküdar Üniversitesi Faculty of Health Sciences Vice Dean and OHS Specialist Assistant Professor Dr. Nuri Bingöl emphasized that the incident started not just with a fire, but with a series of explosions, explaining the technical risks. Assistant Professor Dr. Nuri Bingöl stated that even fire extinguishers were ineffective at the time of the fire.
Regarding the hazard level of the raw material used, Dr. Bingöl stated, “First, it is assessed that there was an explosion, and there are several consecutive explosions. That is, an explosive atmosphere explosion, in the part we call ATEX. Now, in these types of explosions, fire extinguishers are not very effective.”
Alcohol used in the cosmetic industry poses a danger
Addressing the storage conditions of flammable liquids, Assistant Professor Dr. Bingöl drew attention to the danger that alcohol used in the cosmetic industry can cause.
Bingöl said, “We are talking about a perfumery warehouse, so alcohol is likely used. These types of flammable liquids have low flash points. If I'm not mistaken, the flash point of alcohol is 12.6 degrees Celsius. This means that this material produces vapor at any temperature above 12.6 degrees... Since combustion occurs in the gas phase, this is also the situation with alcohol in this environment.”
A facility using chemical and flammable substances should not be outside an Organized Industrial Zone (OSB)
Criticizing the location of a facility using chemical and flammable substances outside an Organized Industrial Zone (OSB), in the middle of residential areas, Assistant Professor Dr. Bingöl said, “Firstly, the location of the facility is wrong. We generally expect such places to be in organized industrial zones... The fact that the building is in a neighborhood is an anomaly... Below, there is a cutting and bending area, meaning a metal workshop where hot work might be performed. Sparks from cutting metal will be produced, and these sparks can again act as an ignition source. No matter how you look at it, there is something wrong.”
Fire departments are more conscious and experienced because OSBs are “specialized areas”
Dr. Bingöl stated that fire departments in Organized Industrial Zones (OSB) are more conscious and experienced because these zones are "specialized areas," saying, “In organized industrial zones, the fire department is involved in the process from the licensing stage onwards. They know in advance what is produced, what is stored, and which chemicals are used in each facility. Therefore, when a fire breaks out, the intervention plan is already prepared. However, in small factories within neighborhoods, this information is not available, so intervention can be delayed or incorrect methods might be applied.”
The main issue in fire safety is the risk of an explosive atmosphere
Assistant Professor Dr. Nuri Bingöl, emphasizing that the main issue in fire safety is the risk of an explosive atmosphere, said, “Explosion protection is a three-stage system. The first is to never create an explosive atmosphere.
Second, if it forms, to prevent its ignition. The third stage is to reduce the effects if an explosion occurs. We usually talk about the third stage; measures such as sprinkler systems, drills, and foam intervention all fall into this stage. However, the place where we should truly start is the first stage: the explosive atmosphere should never be formed.” he said.
Reminding that, according to regulations, it is mandatory to prepare documentation within the scope of the regulation on the protection of workers from the dangers of explosive atmospheres in workplaces with an explosive atmosphere risk, Assistant Professor Dr. Bingöl stated, “This document must be included in the risk assessment. Storage conditions, not leaving flammable liquids exposed, and storing chemicals with low flash points in safe environments must be ensured. These measures prevent the accumulation of explosive vapors in enclosed spaces.”
Simple precautions save lives!
Assistant Professor Dr. Nuri Bingöl stated that it is possible to reduce fatalities in industrial accidents, saying, “With simple precautions taken in advance, damage can be reduced to zero. Employers must actively involve fire departments and occupational safety specialists in the licensing and inspection processes. Establishing an explosion protection culture at the outset is much more effective and life-saving than measures taken afterwards.”
Assistant Professor Dr. Nuri Bingöl stated that establishing facilities that produce flammable and explosive chemicals like perfume in residential areas poses a serious risk, saying, “If the municipality issued a license for 'perfume production' here, the fire department should also have been informed. Because at the licensing stage, the fire department should inspect whether the facility complies with regulations.
However, it appears that this building is located in a residential area, and the fire department likely did not have detailed information regarding the production process. Yet, if such a facility were in an organized industrial zone, the fire department would inspect the process from the establishment stage and identify potential risks in advance.” he said.
Multi-disciplinary inspection is essential at the licensing stage
Dr. Bingöl stated that the licensing process should not be limited only to municipalities, and fire, environmental, and occupational health specialists should also be actively involved in the process, saying, “If an activity involving flammable chemicals like perfume production is in question, the suitability of that facility should be evaluated from many aspects. Technical criteria such as storage conditions, ventilation system, and explosion resistance of electrical equipment should be taken into account. Therefore, specialized zones are of great importance not only for production but also for safety culture.” he said.
Assistant Professor Dr. Hacer Kayhan: “A person does not start a fire or a flame; negligence starts a fire”
Assistant Professor Dr. Hacer Kayhan from Üsküdar Üniversitesi Faculty of Health Sciences, Occupational Health and Safety Department, also made an important observation regarding the physical structure of the building, reminding of the multi-agency responsibility in the licensing process.
Assistant Professor Dr. Hacer Kayhan stated that facilities working with flammable, volatile, and explosive chemicals such as perfume production cannot be located in residential areas, indicating that the incident pointed to a chain of negligence.
Negligence starts the fire!
Evaluating the incident, Dr. Kayhan said, “A person does not start a fire or a flame; negligence starts a fire. Therefore, we must first ask, 'Where was the negligence committed?'”
Assistant Professor Dr. Kayhan drew attention to the nature of perfume production, stating, “If it produces perfume, there are alcohol, solvents, and volatile organics — meaning this is a facility working with flammable, explosive, and combustible chemicals. This is not where such a facility should be located.”
There are many institutions in the licensing chain…
Assistant Professor Dr. Hacer Kayhan, pointing to the multi-agency responsibility in the licensing process, noted the following:
“Approval for a facility's suitability for such activities is given by multiple institutions. The municipality issues a license if it is within municipal boundaries; the fire department issues a compliance report; the Ministry of Industry gets involved due to hazardous chemicals; and the Ministry of Labor inspects from an occupational safety perspective. We should start from the top: Who gave approval, and under what conditions? The visible annex building gives the impression of an illegal floor. The sections used as storage areas may not be licensed. It is said that the lower part ‘has a license,’ but the nature of that license should be questioned: is it a metal workshop license or a warehouse license? If production has started with a warehouse license, this is a crime.”
Criminal and administrative responsibilities must be clarified
Assistant Professor Dr. Kayhan emphasized that such incidents are preventable and made the following call:
“As professionals, we know that such accidents are preventable. Every precaution taken can save a life. Responsibilities in licensing, inspection, and compliance processes must be clarified; administrative and criminal proceedings should be initiated when necessary.”