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Safety officers must at construction sites

DUBAI — Building contractors will have to appoint safety officers at all construction sites in the emirate, Brigadier Rashid Al Matrooshi, Director of the Dubai Civil Defence Department, has said.

Speaking at the Strategic Forum for Safety in High-rise Buildings at Burj Al Arab, Al Matrooshi told reporters that owners of buildings would be responsible for safety measures on construction sites until the completion of a project.

The Dubai Civil Defence will pay surprise visits to construction sites to ensure that companies are complying with safety rules.

Commenting on the recent high rise mishap in the emirate, Al Matrooshi said the Dubai Civil Defence had put forth alternative solutions for fire-fighting systems in high rises under construction.

Lieutenant-General Saif Al Shaafar, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, said the Strategic Forum was a great opportunity for the Dubai Civil Defence to benefit from the experiences of other countries insofar as fire safety is concerned.

He stressed owners of high rises should arrange for fire-fighting equipment including safety alarms, automatic sprinklers and smart systems. Management staff and tenants should also be trained in dealing with emergency cases.

He further said the UAE had laid down a legislation for safety and a disaster management team could deal with all kinds of accidents.

Several papers on high rise safety were presented by experts from across the world during the conference.