Calcutta and Jadavpur universities have decided to upgrade their fire safety arrangements following Tuesday’s blaze at Bhaba Atomic Research Centre (Barc) that claimed the lives of two young scientists, including one from Namkhana in South 24-Parganas.

“Our laboratories are not tinder boxes but the fire safety arrangements in some are far from adequate. A Barc-like disaster is not unlikely unless the safety loopholes are plugged,” said a senior official at Calcutta University’s (CU) Rajabazar Science College.

Pro vice-chancellor Dhrubojyoti Chatterjee said researchers, guides and laboratory employees would be taught what to do if a fire breaks out and how to handle inflammable materials.

The authorities are also planning to replace the old fire-fighting arrangements with modern facilities and upgrade the infrastructure.

Students and researchers at CU’s chemistry, chemical engineering, bio-chemistry, bio-physics, chemical engineering and polymer science departments complained that their laboratories did not have any emergency exit.

“We do have fire extinguishers but they are not placed at convenient locations,” complained a student.

Jadavpur University, too, has decided to train its students and staff in the dos and don’ts to prevent and tackle a fire.

A source at the university said minor accidents kept happening because of the ignorance of the students and staff about safety rules.

“We will prepare a safety data sheet which will list all details about the dangerous materials used in the laboratories so that every user can take precaution before laying their hands on them,” said JU pro VC Siddhartha Dutta.

S. Gangopadhyay, the security officer of the Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, said: “Our fire-fighting unit comprises trained people. We also conduct regular drills.”