DAVAO CITY – The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) has started inspecting establishments selling Christmas lights and other electrical decors for the holidays to ensure consumers are buying products which passed quality standards.
BFP inspectors are seeing to it that a product bears the ICC stickers from the Bureau of Product Standards of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
The ICC mark includes the ICC letters in a gear but has a unique serial number for each product. It also includes the month and year the DTI-BPS issued the ICC certificate to an importer’s product shipment.
The DTI-BPS issues ICC to importers of products covered by mandatory PNS in accordance with the Standards Law. All import shipments under mandatory PNS are subject to BPS evaluation, sampling and testing.
Importers of products are allowed to use the ICC mark only after undergoing and passing the BPS Certification Scheme and satisfactorily meeting the requirements of relevant Philippine National Standards (PNS) and acceptable international or foreign standards. Import shipments covered by mandatory PNS include building and construction materials, electrical and electronic home appliances, chemical products, and, consumer products.
In the coming weeks, BFP will tandem with the DTI in the inspection. Aside from inspection, the BFP also continues to conduct caravans to educate the public fire prevention at home.
This year, from January to November, BFP XI recorded 276 fire incidents in the city. This is lower compared to the same period in 2016 with 506.
Although the number of fire incidents is lower this year, Fire Supt. Honee Fritz Alagano, the Davao Fire Marshall of the Bureau of Fire and Protection (BFP) XI, said the amount of damage is much higher at P33.6 million because the incidents included the fire which hit a coconut oil factory.
She said the cause of fire during the period was mostly electrical and cooking equipment which were unattended especially in residential houses.
“Although the firefighters responded immediately the fire really escalates faster especially in houses made of light materials,” she added.
Based on their records, from January to November this year, BFP recorded 240 accidental fires, nine intentional, 25 fire cases under investigation and two of undetermined cause.
For the causes of fire, 114 were caused by electrical connection; 19 by electrical appliances; four spontaneous combustion; 11 open flame due to unattended cooking stove; 17 open flame due to unattended torch, and lighted candles/ Gasera; three LPG explosion; 27 lighted cigarette; nine incendiary device; two mosquito coil; and, 45 others (bonfire, electrical post, rubbish, open flame). (Rhoda Grace Saron/PNA)
