Dubai: A nationwide campaign to protect children from falling from tall buildings was launched on Thursday by the Directorate General of Civil Defence. The campaign was launched on Universal Children’s Day, which is celebrated as the international day for children.
The first stage of the campaign under the slogan “Safe environment for Kids to protect them from Falling” will continue for three months. One hundred awareness and inspection teams from the UAE Civil Defence will go around the country raising awareness about the dangers of leaving children unattended next to windows and balconies.
Brochures will also be distributed at towers, residential buildings, schools and children’s play areas with text and illustrations on how to follow the safest measures to stop any accidents from happening.
During a press conference at the Dubai Press Club, attended by the Civil Defence directors, government officials, and representatives from the private sector, Major General Rashid Thani Al Matroushi, Acting Commander in chief of UAE Civil Defence spoke about the campaign and how it mainly targets families with children living in older residential buildings.
“It’s our priority as a civil defence team to protect souls first. People’s property comes second. We are launching this campaign, which focuses mainly on children, to advise parents to take all the precautions needed to avoid any deaths or injuries of their children. We are taking early steps to avoid such accidents from happening around the UAE,” Maj Gen Al Matroushi said.
International standards
Maj Gen Al Matroushi said there are many towers and tall buildings being built all around the UAE, but they are all being forced to apply international standards on how the balconies should be built and how wide the windows should open.
“The code we have developed covers all facilities and contains specific standards that must be applied on every building being built. The code has been derived from the National Fire Protection Association, and from other codes around the world,” he said.
According to him, the opening of a window must not be wider than 10-15cm, and a balcony’s railing must not be lower than 120cm.
“Any child taller than 120cm means he or she is already mature enough to understand the dangers, and this is why this height was chosen”
Maj Gen Al Matroushi said all modern buildings follow the exact standards, but the issue remains with older buildings.
“We have had nine injuries in the past four years. This number is based on what has been registered with us. We want to put an end to these accidents. So, for older buildings it is a must for landlords to try and apply these standards in every possible way,” he said.
He said it is also the responsibility of the child’s caretakers to warn children by following the brochure’s instructions and to also keep an eye on kids and never leave them unattended at home.
