After a disaster of all things Valaisans want to relax fire safety controls
After the fatal fire disaster in Crans-Montana, political consequences are on the agenda in Valais. A joint initiative by all political groups now shows that the rules for fire safety inspections could be adapted - and in some cases relaxed.
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- Following the fire disaster in Crans-Montana, the parliamentary group leaders in the Valais parliament are preparing a joint political initiative.
- Among other things, this involves reducing the frequency of fire safety inspections in some cases and weighting them more according to risk.
- Critics could see this as a relaxation of safety regulations.
Following the fire disaster in Crans-Montana, in which several people lost their lives, politicians in Valais are working on the first political consequences. As the Valais online portal "pomona.ch" reports, there is a draft for an urgent postulate that has been signed by all the parliamentary group leaders of the Grand Council.
The document is already being circulated in the run-up to the March session of the Valais parliament in Sion. In it, the parliamentary groups first express their condolences to the victims and their families. At the same time, they announced their intention to review the legal basis in the area of fire safety.
Controls to be more risk-oriented
Specifically, this involves amendments to the ordinance on the law on protection against fire and natural elements. The parliamentarians are proposing to define more precisely in future which facilities are considered "sensitive and priority".
Annual fire safety inspections by the municipalities should continue to be provided for such buildings. For other facilities, however, the frequency of inspections could be reduced or adjusted. The aim is to concentrate the available resources on those places where the risk is particularly high.
The scope of inspections should also be regulated more clearly in future. There could be greater differentiation according to building type or use.
"Regulations in Valais stricter than in other cantons"
The draft points out that the regulations in Valais are sometimes stricter than in other cantons. While bars and nightclubs in Fribourg, for example, must be inspected at least every three years, there is no statutory minimum frequency in the canton of Geneva.
The parliamentary groups therefore propose that the inspection intervals be adjusted to the Swiss average as far as possible.
In addition to adjustments to the inspections, the postulate contains further proposals. For example, it should be examined whether a reporting obligation to the municipality should be introduced in future for structural changes or interior renovations in particularly sensitive establishments.
In addition, further training for security officers is to be stepped up. A cantonal IT system for tracking inspections is also being discussed.
