The Fire Safety Compliance Requirements and Issues of Renovated Shop Office for Education Space: A Study of Tuition Centre Building

Abstract

The safety of educational space, particularly tuition centres, is a vital concern to ensure a secure and conducive learning environment. Fire safety is one of the critical aspects of building design and management, directly impacting the well-being of students, staff and the overall community. Safeguarding the occupant’s safety is of utmost importance when renovating tuition centre buildings, requiring approval from relevant authorities, notably the Fire and Rescue Department Malaysia, referred as FRDM. This study meticulously examined the fire safety requirement of tuition centres located at shop office as an education space. The study comprehensively addressed the fire safety regulations in the context of premise which is run as a learning centre under the supervision of Private Educational Institutions (PEI). Strict compliance with these regulations is mandatory for all private learning centres, including tuition centres, prior to the commencement of any operations. Employing a qualitative methodology, this study utilized series of interviews to investigate the compliance requirement and issues associated with the renovation of shop office into tuition centres business. The study was extended to examine the perspectives of FRDM requirements. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the officers from the purposive sampling via expert sampling focus group category supplemented by the collection of secondary data, fostering a wide-ranged discussion on strategies at rectifying non-compliance issues. By delving into the intricacies of fire safety requirements, this study aims to contribute valuable insights that will enhance the safety standards of private education institutions, especially tuition centres for the benefit of both authorities and the public.