Tragic Fire In Delhi

I was deeply saddened to read the news of the factory fire that killed more than forty workers in Delhi, India. My sympathies go out to their families.

The workers were sleeping in the factory. Doors were locked, so they could not escape the deadly smoke.

This incident shows the importance of regulations that protect workers and building residents, as well as the faithful enforcement of those regulations. I don’t know whether Delhi fire codes were insufficient to prevent this tragedy, or whether the codes were overlooked by bribed officials. The bottom line is that lives would have been saved if the right kind of doors and fire retardant materials had been used.

When I hear politicians bragging about cutting regulations, it makes me angry. Regulations are put in place, because businesses and landlords would not take important, life-saving actions without them. Does complying with regulations cost money and add bureaucracy? Probably in most cases, it does, but it’s a small price to pay compared to even one human life or even a serious injury. No business should ever sacrifice safety for profit.