Can we learn the lessons from tragic accidents?

The Criminal Court of Southern Bangkok recently sentenced two entertainment executives for negligence prior to the Santika Pub fire on New Year’s Eve 2008, which led to the deaths of 66 people and injured many more. While some may welcome the verdict, it does nothing to offset the loss of life and permanent injuries suffered by others that night.
It is good that the public has been reminded of the incident. But attention should not merely focus on the verdict by the court. This tragedy should provide a lesson we must learn from. Indeed, we can all play a part in preventing similar accidents from happening and in the mitigating damages caused.
Last week, the victims of the Santika Pub fire came out to tell the public that nothing can ever compensate for the losses they have suffered. But mostly they want the public to be aware of the results of negligence and how we are inadequately prepared to deal with such fires and other accidents caused by lax security and safety measures.
The Santika blaze was the result of gross negligence. It could have been prevented if only the building had had sufficient exits. The place was also overcrowded that night. In addition, it was reported that indoor fireworks were let off as part of the entertainment programme. The combination of these unfortunate factors led to the massive fire, which turned the New Year celebration into a nightmare for so many.
Nevertheless, it is not certain whether our society can indeed learn anything from this incident. Has there been any stricter enforcement of  laws to ensure that history will not be repeated? New buildings are sprouting up everyday, but do any of them have the proper emergency facilities to prevent and mitigate the effects of fire?
The construction of new buildings and redevelopment of old ones must be in accordance with the safety codes. They must also have proper maintenance to prevent fires and other emergency situations. In addition, residents and building users should be made aware of how to cope in an emergency situation.
Thailand has seen a series of tragic fires over the years, including the Kader toy factory fire in 1993, which left 188 people, mostly young women, dead; it was one of our worst-ever industrial accidents. The fire at the Royal Jomtien Hotel in 1997 claimed 91 lives and its cause was a result of violations of the building safety code.
The authorities should enforce these proper safety codes in accordance with the purposes buildings are used for. For instance, buildings in which the majority of users are families or children should be equipped with proper facilities to assist them in the case of an emergency evacuation. All buildings should be designed with an evacuation plan and a sufficient number of emergency exits in the case of fire.
Part of the problem is that most people take things for granted, even though they are aware of violations and inadequate preparation that can lead to loss of life, injury and severe damage to property.
While the building code should be strictly enforced, all relevant agencies should work to ensure that the regulations are sufficient and practical. If they do not, these regulations will simply provide loopholes for corrupt officials to extort “tea money” from building operators who fail to comply with the rules.
Again, the public should be made aware of safety and fire codes. Some foreign guests at the Royal Jomtien Hotel said they managed to survive because they had, in their own countries, learned how to react in the event of a fire. It would certainly be helpful for the Thai public to receive more education on how to cope during accidents and emergencies.
This preparation and awareness is more essential than ever, as we have recently seen the great damage caused by ever more frequent natural disasters such as earthquakes and tsunamis. This awareness needs to be instilled from an early age, because none of us can ever be certain we will be spared from accidents.