Hundreds of Victoria students and staff are in danger of death if an alternative is not found to their current accommodation.

Hugh Lambie, university Safety and Defence Officer has recently condemned the Hunter building as being dangerously unsafe in the event of an earthquake or fire.

On a day to day basis the building is safe, but even a small fire could destroy the building and place many people at risk. According to Lambie, Hunter doesn't comply with the Fire Code because it does not contain adequate smoke lobbies, which are essential in sealing off smoke from the rest of the building.

If a fire were to occur on the ground floor of Hunter, smoke would drift up the stairwells and flood the second and third floors, asphyxiating people before they reached the stairwells.

The escape routes in the building, according to the Safety Officer are adequate, but the liklihood of them coping with a mass exodus of students in a state of panic is questionable.

The possibility of a fire occuring in Hunter is very high, as Hunter is an old building and parts of it are used for workshops and laboratories.

No Plans to Shift

At present there are no plans for the relocation of the Music department from the Hunter building. Arnold Blades, Works Registrar of Victoria believes there is a need for more information on possible sites before the situation can be evaluated.

The option of temporary accommodation was discussed and is being taken up by the accommodation advisory committee, but Blades says "the campus is crowded and space is limited".

Students in the Physics department have been provided with alternative accommodation in stage II of the Cotton building, but this move will not take place until 1983.

Prospects for the Music department look bleak. If no alternative accommodation is found, the department faces the risk of the complete shutdown of the Hunter building, which Lambie says will achieve nothing.

The situation faced by the Music department is considered by the university authorities as a high priority. "However there is a danger that we could be left without a solution" Blades said.

Officer Blames Conservationists

Safety Officer, Hugh Lambie lays the blame on the Friends of Hunter, believing they are "responsible for the state of affairs" because they have managed to delay demolition. But whoever is at fault for the delay, the fact remains that students and staff are forced to work in a building which is a potential threat to their safety.

Lorna Massof