(22)Other fire fighting arrangement. - (a) In every factory, adequate provision of water supply for fire-fighting shall be made and where the amount of water required in litre per minute, as calculated from the formula A + B + C + D divided by 20 is 550 or more power driven trailer pumps of adequate capacity to meet the requirement of water as calculated above shall be provided and maintained.In the above formulaA = The total area in square metres of all floors including galleries in all buildings of the factory;B = The total area in square metres of all floors and galleries including open spaces in which combustible materials are handled or stored;C = The total area in square metres of all floors over 15 metres above ground level; andD = The total area in square metres of all floors of all building other than those of fire resisting construction:Provided that in areas where the fire risk involved does not require use of water, such areas under B, C, or D may, for the purpose of calculation, be halved :Provided further that where the areas under B, C, or D are protected by permanent automatic fire-fighting installations approved by any fire association on fire insurance company such areas may, for the purpose of calculation, be halved:Provided also that where the factory is situated at not more than 3 kilometers from an establishment of city or town fire service, the pumping capacity based on the amount of water arrived at by the formula above may be reduced by 25 per cent, but no account shall be taken of this reduction in calculating water supply required under clause (a)(b)(i)Each trailer pump shall be provided with equipment as per schedule appended to this Rule.(ii)In addition to the equipments specified in the said schedule each trailer pump shall be provided with adequate breathing apparatus.(iii)The Chief Inspector may by an order in writing direct the occupier and/or Manager of a factory to provide such additional equipments and breathing apparatus and of such type as he may consider necessary in consideration of the nature and degree of hazards.(iv)The equipment specified in this sub-rule shall conform to such Indian Standards specification as may be in existence.(c)Trailer pumps shall be housed in a separate shed or sheds which shall be sited close to a principal source of water supplies in the vicinity of the main risks of the factory.(d)In factories where the area is such as cannot be reached by men hauling of trailer pumps within reasonable time, vehicles with towing attachment shall be provided at the scale of one for every four trailer pumps with a minimum of one such vehicle kept available at all times.(e)Water supply shall be provided to give flow of water as required under clause (a) for at least 100 minutes. At least 50 per cent of this water-supply for 4,50,000 litres whichever is less, shall be in the form of static tanks of adequate capacities (not less than 4,50,000 litres each) distributed round the factory with due regard to the potential fire risk in the factory (which piped supply is provided, the size of the main shall not be less than 15 centimeters diameter and it shall be supplying a minimum of 4,500 litres per minute at a pressure of not less than 7 kilograms per square centimeter.(f)All trailer pumps including the equipment provided with them and vehicles for towing them shall be maintained in good condition and subjected to periodical inspection and testing as required.
