Analysis of the Recap of the Passive Fire Prevention and Protection Measures in Nigerian Markets: A Solution for Reducing Air Pollution
Odaudu Ugbede Sunday
Department of Architecture
Kano University of Science and Technology, Wudil, Nigeria
Email: arcodauduugbede@yahoo.com.
ABSTRACT
A market is an authorized site and a public place where people meet for trade or where goods and services are exchanged to the terminal consumer for money. Markets in Africa are varied in terms of size, mode and quality of construction, facilities for market users and physical maintenance. Air pollution is the contamination of air in the environment and it occurs when the air contains fumes or gases, smoke, dust and odour in harmful amount Fire is a special type of chemical reaction or an oxidation process that happens very fast, so that light, heat and sound are released. In Nigeria, markets are prone to fire outbreaks. Therefore, it is important that, fire is treated with care in markets in Nigeria. Unwanted fires have a monetary impact on communities because, fires remove businesses from the tax rolls while the damaged building is reconstructed. According to available statistics, over 40 percent of the businesses that experienced a fire outbreak, never re-open because they lose their customers base. Passive fire prevention measures in Nigerian markets were overviewed with the aim of being informed of the need for proper market designs against fire and thereby reducing the release of harmful smoke to the environment. Analyzing the significant of markets to people, and the negative effects of the harmful smoke that are being released to the environment are the objectives. The review of relevant literature on fire outbreaks in markets is the method adopted for this study. The passive fire prevention and protection measures in markets are also parts of the relevant literature that were reviewed. The findings showed that, there is no study on how to use building designs to reduce fire problems in markets in Nigeria and subsequently, there is need for evaluation of passive fire prevention and protection measures in Nigerian markets. It is expected that, this study shall reduce the release of harmful smoke to the environment and lay a foundation for further studying of passive fire prevention in markets in Nigeria. Thus, the study recommends that, passive fire prevention measures should be well considered in the design of markets in Nigeria, in order to reduce the incidences of fire outbreaks and their consequences.
Keywords: Fire Prevention, Harmful Smoke, Markets, Nigeria, Passive.
