Automatic fire extinguishers such as sprinkler systems are known to be an effective means to putting out a fire in the initial stages since they can respond on autopilot without any human intervention in case of fire. However, the current law requires the installation of sprinkler systems only for comparatively large facilities such as a six-story apartment building or higher and a nursing hospital with a floor area of more than 600㎡. Therefore, it has been pointed out that comparatively small facilities such as a five-story building or lower that is relatively inaccessible to firefighters are vulnerable to safety hazards due to its location in an alley.

When a building has an indoor parking lot, the installation of water-spraying fire extinguishers is required to automatically respond to oil-induced fires since damage to building users can be significant with the rapid spread of flames caused by parked vehicles which are flammable.

Thus, irrespective of the size of a facility and its accommodating capacity, the Act aims to make it mandatory to install automatic water-spraying fire extinguishers in a facility with a high risk of oil-induced fire such as an indoor parking lot, and to install sprinkler systems in apartment buildings, medical facilities, etc., thereby protecting the people’s lives and properties through effective response to fire (Article 9, paragraph 1 and Article 11, paragraph 1 and 4).

Regardless of the size of a facility and its accommodating capacity, the Act aims to make it mandatory for facilities with a high risk of oil-induced fire such as a hangar and indoor parking lot, to install automatic water-spraying fire extinguishers, and for apartment buildings and medical facilities to install sprinkler systems (Article 9).