Thailand's Ministry of Industry enacted a new fire regulation with more stringent fire protection system requirements on moderate- and high- risk factories.

The new safety requirements include fire compartments; fire safety training, testing and maintenance of fire protection systems; fire safety plans; and means of egress. They affect 48 manufacturing sectors, including food, textile, garments, furniture, chemical, plastic, pulp and paper, printing, personal care products, petroleum refinery, rubber, appliance assembly, automobiles, power generation, and waste treatment plants.

Companies with factories in Thailand should ensure they comply with the requirements within three years of the announcement, or by September 29, 2012.

"The affected factories are under considerable pressure to determine what changes must be made to align fire protection systems with internationally accepted standards, as well as comply with the other fire safety requirements," noted Park Moon Moey, Marsh Risk Consulting, Singapore.

"Companies that fail to comply with the requirements may not receive their operating permits — which can result in extended disruption to operations, and translate to lost market share, reduced revenue, and diminished shareholder value." according to Moon.

"Pre-planning activities should ensure that the retrofits have minimal impact on ongoing operations, and that changes are implemented correctly the first time to prevent future business interruption," added Alfred de Guzman, Marsh Risk Consulting, Singapore.

Marsh Risk Consulting Asia has developed specific risk management solutions to help the affected manufacturing facilities quickly assess their level of compliance to the new fire regulation and effectively plan for the changes needed.