Opinion | Editorials
Pay more heed to worker safety
Negligence and carelessness are factors which can lead to the Ajman-type tragedy.
- Gulf News
- Published: 00:11 June 4, 2008
What happened at the under-construction Laguna Beach hotel site in Ajman is completely unacceptable. The tragedy was caused by pure negligence and carelessness, when the concrete ceiling of the basement caved in on the workers while they were checking a leakage.
Bodies of six workers have been recovered from under the concrete and structural steel. This is not an isolated case, and that is the sad reality.
In the past few years, there have been similar cases of tragic accidents at construction sites in the UAE primarily due to lack of safety measures, non-implementation of certain laws and regulations, ignorance of technical knowledge, poor supervision and use of sub-standard building materials.
Lately, Ajman has witnessed an unprecedented construction boom due to the mushrooming of exciting real estate projects. But this shouldn't be an excuse for not focusing on the safety of workers who are an inherent part of the construction boom.
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