CHANGES in the law and stricter enforcement of existing regulations controlling safety in nightclubs have been called for by the Consumers' Association of Ireland.
A survey by the association found harmful noise levels, overcrowding and a shortage of emergency exits in nightclubs in the Republic and Northern Ireland.
"There is substantial legislation covering safety in night clubs, especially since the Stardust disaster," a spokesman for the association said. "However, the CAI is calling for the varied statutes to be integrated into a single all encompassing piece of legislation covering safety in all places of assembly.
The association criticised the system of monitoring and safety control in night clubs. A spokesman said spot cheeks on nightclubs should be carried out by the fire authorities when the clubs were open to the public.
Annual pre licence inspections by the fire authorities were usually during the day and the club owners knew when they were due the spokesman said.
One of the main findings of the survey, of 21 clubs in the Republic and Northern Ireland, was the shortage of clear signs directing customers to emergency exits. These were found to be inadequate in 30 per cent of the clubs.
"Often the signs were unhelpful and misleading. This could seriously delay evacuation in the event of an emergency" the spokesman said.
Overcrowding was a feature in 24 per cent of the clubs. In many there was no apparent means of controlling the numbers entering.
The fire authorities recommend that it should usually be possible to evacuate a night club in less than 2 1/2 minutes.
In several clubs it was found that it took more than five minutes to get from the bar area to the seating area. "This was in a normal situation with no fire, no panic, no smoke and no sudden rush to escape," the spokesman said.
The number of clubs found to be unsatisfactory because of overcrowding would be higher if all, cheeks had been carried out on weekend nights, the spokesman said.
The survey found noise levels were so high in most night clubs as to be potentially damaging to customers hearing. There is no legislation in the Republic covering noise levels in clubs.
The levels were measured using a system which takes account of the intensity of the sound and its duration. Prolonged exposure to 85 dBA (decibels) can cause hearing deficiency, yet in 10 of the 11 night clubs surveyed for sound the levels were in excess of this. The least noisy club had a range of 81.3 to 91.5 dBA. The loudest had a range of 92.3 to 109.6 dBA.
Levels are measured on a scale whereby 88 dBA is twice as dangerous as 85 dBA and 91 dBA is twice as damaging as 88 dBA. Over a period of years such levels, could lead to hearing damage.
The spokesman said customers should be told what the noise levels in clubs were, so they could make an informed choice about exposing themselves to risk.
Emergency lighting was found to be unsatisfactory in 20 per cent of the clubs. Unclean, wet and slippery toilets were also common.
