Safety rules for buildings under construction soon

26 Mar 2007

Dubai: The buildings under construction will soon have an elaborate set of safety rules to adhere to.

Brigadier Rashid Thani Al Matroushi, Director of Dubai Civil Defence, said it has completed drafting the rules for construction companies and engineering consultants. The list will be distributed among the concerned authorities for feedback and implementation.

Al Matroushi said the rules will be implemented in two months. Civil defence teams will inspect construction sites. "There will be a checklist that will list safety requirements against fires in buildings under construction or those that are being maintained," he said.

He said the requirements include having an emergency plan and a qualified safety officer in each building in case of fires. The officer must be able to use fire extinguishers, evacuate workers in emergencies and inform the Civil Defence about the fire.

The requirements also include drawing up of safety procedures when using flames or heat such as welding, specifying locations where flammable materials are stored and classifying them according to their danger levels, setting up clear signboards for entrances and exits, installing alarms, hoses, not blocking entrances and exits, specifying garbage locations and classifying them and specifying where gas cylinders are located in the building.

Legal action

Legal action will be taken against offenders.

Brigadier Al Matroushi held a meeting with representatives of companies that install firefighting systems and carry out maintenance works.

He said the civil defence will not accept reasons for not abiding by the requirements, saying costs need to be cut.