UAE | Emergencies

UAE reviews building security and safety codes

Interior ministry to check specifications of buildings to prevent child deaths

  • By Natalie Farah and Janice Ponce de Leon Staff Reporters
  • Published: 00:00 November 27, 2011
  • Gulf News

How safe is your child?
  • Image Credit: Pankaj Sharma/XPRESS
  • The Ministry of Interior's child protection centre called for covering balconies with Perspex sheets and to keep them closed at all times and locked. The picture is used for illustrative purposes only.

Abu Dhabi/Dubai: The recent spate of child deaths from high-rise buildings has sounded the alarm for authorities in the UAE. Two children's deaths in Sharjah within one week this month were tragedies that could have been avoided had the parents taken precautions, said officials.

In a bid to prevent these accidents from happening again, the Higher Committee for Child Protection in the Ministry of Interior announced that it is reviewing building safety and security marks and specifications. The committee is also focusing on the application of the best international security measures and marks to protect children from falling from windows and balconies.

Colonel Faisal Mohammad Al Shimmari, Director of the Ministry of Interior's Child Protection Centre, said that they have prepared awareness brochures in Arabic, English and Urdu to tackle the issue of protecting children from falling from buildings. Safety pointers were issued which can be summarised in two points: maintaining round-the-clock supervision of children and having child-safety locks at all entry and exit points in the house.

The Ministry of Interior's child protection centre called for covering balconies with Perspex sheets and to keep them closed at all times and locked, while the keys have to be kept in a place that cannot be reached by children.

While locked doors and windows can help keep children out of danger, leaving them unattended equally exposes them to risks.

Major General Nasser Lakhraibani Al Nuaimi, Secretary-General of the Office of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, said that lately it has been noted that the increase in house accidents involving children was a result of their being alone without adult supervision, or as a result of lack of awareness and safety measures.

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Meanwhile, in Abu Dhabi, the number of child fatalities from high-rise buildings has decreased as a result of concerted efforts by the Abu Dhabi Civil Defence, a senior official told Gulf News.

Life Safety Code

"Accidents have been reported involving children falling from buildings in the past, but in the last five years, we've strictly implemented a Life Safety Code as well as successful awareness campaigns. As a result, the number of accidents involving children falling from buildings has dropped sharply from one or two accidents per month to one to two every year," Colonel Mohammad Bin Naseeb Al Nuaimi, Director-General, Abu Dhabi Civil Defence, said.

"Among the safety elements that are inspected are windows, which should open up to a certain limit only, and balconies, which must have high railings placed 10 centimetres apart or less to prevent children from leaning over or through the railings and falling," he said.

Al Nuaimi said in 2012 the Civil Defence will launch an initiative with the Higher Committee for Child Safety and emergency response departments to ensure children are evacuated in a safe manner during emergency situations.

"As part of the campaign, we will also provide training for the staff in educational institutions, especially nurseries, so that they know how to handle such situations and evacuate young children safely," he said.

8,000 US children suffer injuries

Abu Dhabi: The Centre for Injury Research and Policy of The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital found that 5,200 teenagers and children (17 years olds and below) were admitted to US emergency rooms annually from 1990-2008 because of falling accidentally out of windows.

It was also indicated that more than 8,000 injured children are admitted to hospitals annually because of falling out of windows and high places.

The US police blamed the parents of a five-year-old child who fell accidentally out of a window as she was playing unattended to in an adjacent room.

The mother of a young boy was imprisoned for negligence after he fell out of a window on the 13th floor and was released with 391 other prisoners who were set free as a result of a Presidential pardon.

Bad craftsmanship

US statistics show that 29 children fell out of windows and balconies in 2009. One child died while 28 sustained serious injuries.

In 2010, the death toll increased to 16 children and the reason for those accidents were the bad craftsmanship of contractors and building designers.

Ministry of Interior directions

  • Parents should have round-the-clock supervision on children in the house especially in locations close to windows and balconies.
  • All windows should be locked to ensure the safety of children, especially when the windows are not in use.
  • Metal bars should be installed on windows which can prevent children from falling off. The bars should be close to each other in a manner which does not leave any space for children to go between.
  • Windows should have shutters that are sturdy enough to endure blows and must not open more than four inches.
  • Remove all furniture from locations close to windows.

Comments (13)

  1. Added 19:02 November 27, 2011

    all windows should have a padlock with locks and keys. It can save a lot of child related issues. Bars may cause some hindrances during any fire from escaping thru windows.

    Razeen, ajman, United Arab Emirates

  2. Added 18:28 November 27, 2011

    In highrise buildings, there is only one door to exit from inside an apartment. In the case of fire and this door is blocked how the inhabitants escape? Fire escape doors needs to be provided and in the case of fire it needs to be open to a fire escape staircase.

    Richard, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

  3. Added 16:59 November 27, 2011

    Even with all the safety measures, the main problem is leaving the children alone in home. The child should be always with one of the parent or in day care center if both the parent are working. Strict punishments or fines should be given for parents those who leave the children alone in home.

    Mohammad Ali, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

  4. Added 14:57 November 27, 2011

    For designers, building safety is of paramount importance in every aspect else the design almost never reaches authorities for approval unless safety concerns are strictly addressed. There is only so much safety measures a design can take else the onus falls on parents to ensure that children of a certain age are monitored at ALL times and negligence in maintaining a safe house environment is equivalent to child abuse.While the campaigns for car seat safety seems to have filtered through to most of the population it now looks like a similar one needs to be drawn on balcony safety. Be responsible people..having an apartment balcony or an openable window is an invalid argument against poor or no child supervision.

    Anonymous, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

  5. Added 14:21 November 27, 2011

    Very good advices have come from Ministry of Interior. Still i think it is the responsibility of the building owners to provide window/balcony related safety. And some authority have to instruct building constructors/designers on the safety instructions and need to strictly monitor the implementation of the same. Even the authorities can enforce penulties for building owners, if they do not meet the set standards. But mostly it is upto parents to select the most suitable house to live considering the safety of their children.

    Thaj Al Deen Mohammad, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

  6. Added 14:20 November 27, 2011

    I am sure all the tenents will follow the minimum safety requirements as the GN articles illustarates. Unsafe balconies and windows are of great concern and danger as they risk fall hazard specially to childrens. When I came to UAE with the family had noticed the areas where I could see the fall hazards for the childrens and had been cautious and taken preventive measures not let windows open and leave chairs in balconies. Safety norms have to be followed stringently to avoid such mishap and should be concidered during the design stage of the building approved by UAE concerned authorities.

    Syed Manzoor, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

  7. Added 14:17 November 27, 2011

    There has to be a rule from all municipalities in the UAE, to have windows with tight cross bars. This has to be made mandatory for all buildings including villas. These tight cross bars should not be like a safety window, it has to be fixed up with the window frames. Unless this is made mandatory in all the emirates, these sort of incidence will keep happening.

    Gopalakrishnan, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

  8. Added 14:02 November 27, 2011

    I think when UAE has law for everything ,, why not some minium & maximum limitaion for the window & balcony heights ,,.I have seen some building having balcony with only glass and less than a meter (while I think 1.30 m ) is minmum hight of the balcony. 1 meter height could be a problem for a grown one also. Closing of windos & keep door always close is not the solution ,, it may have some health hazards also ,, safety element at the time of construction & municipality survey should be indoduced. Regards

    Umer Bin Habib, Dubai , United Arab Emirates

  9. Added 13:38 November 27, 2011

    Yes, this is very good. These steps taken today will protect many future lives and also all parents should be given awareness programs to take care of there children better. many people leave their children alone in home and go to work they should not do this at any cost.

    Nizam Al Deen, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

  10. Added 13:25 November 27, 2011

    The directions of MOI below are very good. however, they have to make it mandatory and a law to ensure all windows which can be opened for ventilation be equipped by default with these bars. •Metal bars should be installed on windows which can prevent children from falling off. The bars should be close to each other in a manner which does not leave any space for children to go between.

    Anonymous, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    11. View more comments

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