Longer escape routes, more personal responsibility Switzerland wants to relax fire safety regulations now of all times
After the inferno in Crans-Montana, there is not only discussion about the cause of the fire, but also about a reform project that hardly anyone had on their radar: Switzerland is revising its fire safety regulations.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- The Association of Cantonal Fire Insurers is revising Switzerland's fire safety regulations, which are to apply from 2027.
- More personal responsibility, possible private expert opinions instead of inspections by the authorities and, in certain cases, more flexible requirements for escape routes are being critically discussed.
- Fire safety expert Gregor Plett warns on SRF of "more market, less state", while those responsible for the project emphasize that safety will not be reduced, but rather designed on a risk-based basis.
The disaster in Crans-Montana has sparked a debate that has so far mainly occupied experts: Switzerland is in the midst of a total revision of its fire safety regulations - and the timing suddenly seems explosive.
As SRF reports in "Echo der Zeit", Switzerland is basically regulated nationwide when it comes to fire protection: Fire safety regulations apply throughout Switzerland and are coordinated by the cantonal fire insurance companies. These regulations are currently being revised and the new provisions are due to come into force in 2027.
Blickalso writes that the Association of Cantonal Fire Insurers (VKF) has submitted a comprehensive draft for consultation, which has been running since mid-September. According to the newspaper, the package comprises almost 500 pages; implementation is the responsibility of the cantons and municipalities.
The revision focuses on proportionality, deregulation and more individual responsibility. This sounds like technical modernization - but immediately arouses suspicion after a major fire: Is fire protection being "relaxed"?
"Tailor-made concepts" and a "more flexible system"
Isabel Engels, Professor of Fire Protection at Bern University of Applied Sciences and head of the audit, describes the approach as a change of course. According to the report, she says: "We are moving away from the principle of maximizing safety." Instead of "more is more and safer", measures should be selected on a more risk-based basis, i.e. depending on the specific hazard.
At the same time, those responsible deny that this will reduce safety. According to Blick, Engels emphasizes that the system will become more flexible and enable "tailor-made concepts" that reflect the actual risk - with the aim of fulfilling the security that society expects.
One of the most politically sensitive points is the question of who will control the system in future. Gregor Plett, Head of the Security and Fire Protection Department of the Canton of Basel-Stadt, expresses open skepticism on SRF. "The trend (...) is indeed towards transferring even more responsibility to the owners," he says.
More responsibility for the operators?
And he adds: "If I now thought that fire protection would be taken away and no longer regulated by the authorities - I would have great difficulty with that." In the SRF program, Plett also warns of the mechanism that would then automatically have a stronger effect: market pressure.
Blick also writes that for certain building categories, official inspections could be replaced by private appraisals. Plett sees this as particularly critical in cantons without cantonal building insurance and without compulsory insurance - Valais is also mentioned.
In addition to the inspections, it is also about individual technical adjustments. Blick" reports that the revised regulations could allow longer escape routes or simplified requirements for flammable components in certain cases.
"Inside Paradeplatz" puts it even more pointedly : it talks about escape routes that could be longer in the draft for conversions - "100 instead of 50 meters". "Inside Paradeplatz" also writes that in certain areas, approvals and inspections by the VKF could be dispensed with and greater emphasis placed on individual responsibility.
It remains to be seen whether and to what extent the VKF and politicians will tighten up the draft. The decision is expected to be made in the coming days.
