On Jan. 17 Brazil was shaken by a tragedy when more than 230 people died because of a fire inside a nightclub. Most of the victims were college students. It began after a band member from Gurizada Fandangueira shot a flare toward the ceiling. Once the fire started a panicked atmosphere spread throughout the club.
The material used for the acoustic isolation made the fire spread faster. The bouncers blocked the only exit because they thought people were trying to leave without paying. A group of people finally managed to get the door open, but it was too late. Many of the attendees died of asphyxiation while desperately trying to escape.
This is not the first time this kind of incident has happened. In 2003, another fire killed 100 people in the Station nightclub in Rhode Island. In this occasion, the flames started in a similar way, after the band performing threw a shower of white sparks, which ignited sound-proofing foam material near the stage.
I have often thought about how dangerous nightclubs could be if something went wrong. After tragedies such as these, I wonder if safety regulations are followed and if there are enough inspections to make sure everything is up to standard.
It’s also clear that any kind of pyrotechnics should be forbidden and severely punished. Moreover, this shouldn’t apply just to regular clubs, but also to concerts held in bars or other small establishments. Here, both the musicians and the public are more likely to make use of flares. These are often used by the band to create a more entertaining show or by the audience to follow along with certain slow songs.
Regulations regarding nightclubs vary from one country to another. What happened in Brazil probably would not have occurred in the U.S., because the club wouldn’t have passed a regular inspection.
In the U.S., clubs are required to have at least three separate exits. There must also be
fire sprinklers and the foam used on the stage needs to
be fireproofed.
Because accidents may still happen if stronger regulations aren’t applied, people should take certain precautions to make sure they will be safe in case something goes wrong.
When entering a club, you should locate the emergency exits as soon as possible. Doing so within the first half hour would be best.
It is also good to define a specific meeting point to get together with your friends in case something happens or someone gets lost. However, the best way to stay safe is to stay sober so the alcohol won’t affect your sense of direction.
The number of people inside the club is also a key issue. Owners try to fit as many people as they can inside the establishment, occasionally even breaking
the law.
Mass concentrations can be the cause of accidents and can sometimes make other situations worse, such as the fires in Brazil and Rhode Island. Another good precaution is to avoid clubs with excessive amounts of people. Of course, a good club is usually going to be packed, but there are times when it becomes too stifling.
In those occasions, the best decision is to leave.
It’s true: You go to clubs to have fun and not to be stressed, but you can’t disregard about safety.
