The Beijing Fire and Rescue Department has released new regulations to prevent fire hazards in large shopping complexes, railway transportation infrastructure, escape room gaming facilities, and elderly care centers. 

The new regulations, announced in late June, will come into effect on October 1. Officers say Beijing has led the efforts to establish guidelines in critical areas. 

At the moment, the same guidelines to prevent fires are absent elsewhere.

Preventing Fires at Escape Room Facilities

Taking escape room facilities as an example, Deputy Head Liu Shiquan from Beijing Fire and Rescue's Dongba Fire and Rescue Team said the industry gained popularity around 2014 but did not have any guidelines in place to address the hidden dangers, both in China and globally. 

In Poland in 2019, five teenage girls lost their lives after a fire broke out at an escape room. 

Escape room facilities are designed to be hard to escape from. Officers have described them as "against basic evacuation rules."

Once locked inside, participants must cooperate to discover clues and solve puzzles, progressing toward their ultimate objective of escaping before the countdown expires. "It's not without risks," says Liu.

To make the challenge more exciting, gaming elements include decorations, handcuffs, and prison cells for players to be locked up as characters. Liu says these pose a potential hazard, especially in the event of a fire when evacuations become necessary.

The new guidelines in China require business owners to use materials and paint that comply with regulations. "The wooden structure needs to undergo fireproofing treatment. The material itself is non-combustible or hard to ignite, and on the surface, it is coated with a layer of fireproofing paint," Liu said. Even if the building and materials meet requirements, the response system needs to be prepared in case of an emergency. 

The staff on duty are trained to monitor the situation. The new regulations require business owners to unlock the door with just one click of a button.

"When it is connected to power, the magnetic door remains closed. When the power is cut off, they pop right open. In case of an emergency, the staff in the control room will deactivate the power and guide the participants through the walkie-talkie on which doors to use for evacuation," Liu explains.

According to the Municipal Culture and Tourism Department, Beijing is home to over 500 script-related gaming facilities, with 80 percent offering scripted board games and the remaining being escape rooms. 

The mission to address fire hazards in escape rooms is being conducted nationwide in compliance with regulations released by the National Fire and Rescue Administration and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. 

Beijing is also taking the lead by implementing regulations specific to key areas, such as large shopping complexes, rail transportation infrastructure, and elderly care.

Fire Prevention at Elderly Care Centers

While fire safety regulations are new for the escape room industry, the updates on elderly care facilities look to establish shelter rooms and an on-site emergency response mechanism.

Li Xinquan, Technical Officer at the Department of Fire Prevention and Inspection of Beijing Fire and Rescue, told CGTN that fire prevention requirements have long been established at locations such as hospitals and elderly care centers.

"When it comes to elderly care, the shelter rooms are distinct from other areas," Liu said. "The new regulations require the shelter room to remain unoccupied and accessible. Fire rescue equipment and tools are readily available for use."

In the event of a fire, the monitoring system will alert staff on patrol and in the control room. Tenants should be evacuated to the shelter rooms on each floor. The system will automatically close the fire doors and prevent the spread of smoke.

Sun Yangyang, who supervises fire prevention in the Asian Games Village area, explains some key measures in place.

"The doors used to be closed at all times, but now they are required to remain open at all times. In the event of a fire, the control room can monitor and manage the closure of the doors. The system will automatically shut the doors to prevent the spread of smoke and fire," said Sun. The elderly care facility CGTN visited has its own dedicated fire rescue team. They undergo weekly training to ensure they are physically capable of handling emergencies. The updated regulations aim to provide that a response system is in place.

Large Shopping Complexes and Railway Infrastructure

The new regulations have also been updated to address fire prevention in large shopping complexes and rail transportation infrastructure, often attracting large crowds.

While previous measures were highly stringent, the updates require shopping complexes to have working targets and duties for the on-site management committee responsible for preventing fires.

Such requirements were previously absent. The goal for the team is to respond to, manage, and handle hidden risks in a timely manner.

Meanwhile, railway infrastructure laws focus on evacuations and limiting the usage of charging electronics and batteries underground.

The update requires upgrading underground power storage equipment to limit the possibility of fire while electronic equipment is charging.

Authorities say they are doing their best to ensure prevention measures are in place for the above key areas, aiming to avert any incidents that would require the deployment of firefighters.