Fire safety for Japan’s high-rise apartment buildings
According to the Tokyo Fire Department, 80% of the 576 high-rise (11 storeys and higher) apartment buildings inspected in 2016 were issued orders for violating the Fire Services Act. The majority of the infractions were were for not designating a fire safety supervisor for fire drills, and not conducting regular checks of fire-fighting equipment.
There are 9,288 high-rise apartment buildings in the Tokyo metropolitan area. In 2016, there were 153 fires reported and two deaths.
Under Japan’s Fire Services Act, buildings over 31 meters tall are considered high-rises and must meet various fire safety regulations. Fire truck ladders can only reach as high 31 meters (which is about the height of the 11th floor), so apartments on the 11th floor and above are obligated to have sprinkler systems, unless other requirements are met (eg. an open elevator hall, more than two emergency exits, non-flammable materials used on apartment interiors and so on). These floors must also have fire walls for every 100 ~ 500 square meters.Read more