Qatar is expected to introduce stricter design codes following the fire at the Villagio shopping mall on 28 May, but consultants warn that to prevent a repeat of the disaster where 19 people died, the authorities should focus on the enforcement of the existing building regulations.

Although an official inquest into the disaster has yet to be held, details have emerged that suggest there was a series of false fire alarms during the day before the fire and that the sprinkler system did not work as it was supposed to.

“How codes and legislation is developed is usually disaster-led,” says Garald Todd, head of fire and life safety at UK consultant WSP. “Unfortunately an event like what happened in Qatar results in tougher codes, which does not really solve the issue. No matter what codes are used, if not enforced they are pointless.”

Qatar’s fire codes are international. They are based on US standards and also use some regulations from Singapore. “They have adopted NFPA [National Fire Protection Association] codes from the US and they are a very robust set of standards,” says Todd. “It is a very prescriptive code that is spelt out, so it is good for people that are new to using them.”

For Qatar’s codes to be more effective they need to be enforced and systems need to be maintained properly. “It is education and enforcement. Facilities managers are not educated when it comes to fire safety and what their systems are supposed to achieve. They get that people have to come in and check them, but they are not educated on the implications, because for many the view is that fires happen somewhere else,” says Todd.

Education is typically a slow process, but does produce lasting results. “Codes are a first step,” says Todd. “The need to mature into something that is enforced and maintained.”