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Lessons of child safety begin at home

Dubai - In Dubai, nine cases of children falling to their deaths from high-rise buildings have been recorded in the past four years.

Laws and regulations will not prevent children falling from windows and balconies but parents should be more vigilant towards their children and protect them, according to a senior official from the Dubai Civil Defence.

In Dubai, nine cases of children falling to their deaths from high-rise buildings have been recorded in the past four years.

Major-General Rashid Thani Al Matroushi, Director of the Dubai Civil Defence, said that eight to 10 per cent of the cost of each new building project will be allocated for safety and preventive measures.

He also said that there will be a new amendment soon in the UAE building code which will make the building owner bear the responsibility of any accidents at the building including construction accidents, fall of children, issues with the elderly or fire accidents.

Recently the Dubai Civil Defence formed 100 teams at the national level to distribute brochures and spread awareness on child falls. The drive continued for three months.

"Preventive strategies include providing a safe environment during construction. So the UAE has launched the national awareness campaign on protecting children from falling. The campaign will also evaluate the compliance rate regarding safety rules in buildings, including residential flats, schools and play areas," he said.

Al Matroushi said that there is no exact statistics on the incidents of children falling from balconies but the Dubai Civil Defence has enforced preventive measures.

"Major amendments will be made in old buildings and new constructions will be built under very strict regulations to ensure that all safety conditions and specifications are met."

As per the new regulations, window openings should not be more than 15cm and height of balconies should not be less than 120 cm.

First country to make a building code

He said that the UAE was the first country that made the UAE Building Code and the national campaign focused on spreading awareness among families.

"As part of safety strategies in residential buildings, a campaign was launched in the light of the high number of high-rise buildings in the country and after analysing falling accidents across the UAE," said Al Matroushi.

He said majority of child fall accidents are caused by children's curiosity as they like to explore surroundings and can commit risky behaviours.

He also said that children also prefer to play in places such as balconies.

amira@khaleejtimes.com