Will there be a fire protection and prevention standard for mini-apartments in the near future in Vietnam?

Will there be a fire protection and prevention standard for mini-apartments in the near future in Vietnam?

On September 15, 2023, the Prime Minister of Vietnam issued the Official Telegram 825/CĐ-TTg to implement the instructions of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong on strengthening fire prevention and fighting.

According to Clause 3 of Official Telegram 825/CĐ-TTg, the Prime Minister requested the Ministry of Construction to carry out the following tasks:

The Ministry of Construction:

- Review the legal regulations on construction and management of multi-apartment housing, businesses providing rental services with high population density to study, amend, supplement, and perfect; build and supplement fire protection standards for these types of housing. Expeditiously complete the revised QCVN 06:2022/BXD and standards for detached houses (completed before September 30, 2023).

- Coordinate with the Ministry of Public Security to urgently study solutions to prevent fires and explosions, and to address existing fire protection problems for these types of housing; at the same time, issue technical guidance materials to resolve fire protection difficulties and obstacles for other existing facilities; direct units and localities to guide agencies, organizations, and individuals to implement solutions to address existing problems, ensuring fire safety during use (completed before October 30, 2023).

Therefore, mini-apartments can be understood as a type of multi-apartment housing with a high population density. Therefore, the Ministry of Construction will build and issue fire protection standards for this type of mini-apartment housing in the near future, as required by the Government.

The Prime Minister of Vietnam requests a comprehensive review and inspection of fire safety at apartment buildings and rental service establishments before November 15, 2023 in Vietnam

According to Official Telegram 825/CĐ-TTg 2023, some ministries, departments, and localities have implemented fire prevention and fighting work in a lack of decisiveness, leading to serious fires such as the fire at a mini-apartment on September 12, 2023 in Khương Đình ward, Thanh Xuân district, Hanoi.

Therefore, the Prime Minister has requested the Ministry of Public Security to carry out the following tasks:

(1) Direct the National Police to lead and coordinate with relevant agencies to conduct a comprehensive review and inspection of fire safety at apartment buildings, multi-apartment housing, rental service establishments with high population density, housing combined with production, business, and high fire and explosion risk. The comprehensive review and inspection must be completed before November 15, 2023.

(2) Request the Ministry of Public Security to soon advise the Government and the Prime Minister to organize a national online conference to evaluate the results of the first 8 months of implementing Directive 01/CT-TTg in 2023 on strengthening fire prevention and fighting work in the new situation and direct urgent solutions to enhance prevention work, reduce the number of fires, ensure the safety of people's lives and health, and complete it in September 2023.

Implementing the strict regulation of the construction permit activities and strictly handling the cases of violations at the localities in Vietnam

According to Clause 7 of Official Telegram 825/CĐ-TTg 2023, the Prime Minister of Vietnam has requested the provincial People's Committees to:

(1) Strengthen the management of construction activities, especially the issuance of permits, inspections, and compliance with construction laws, and assign specific responsibilities to each unit, organization, and individual in the issuance of permits, management of construction order, and strict handling of cases of illegal construction and unauthorized construction.

(2) Direct the organization of a comprehensive review and inspection of fire safety at apartment buildings, multi-apartment housing, rental service establishments with high population density, housing combined with production, business, and high fire and explosion risk, and take measures to prevent fires and explosions and reduce damage caused by fires and explosions.

(3) Increase investment in fire prevention and fighting, support the purchase of fire prevention and rescue equipment to meet the actual situation at the locality.

Best regards!