Special Report: Call to tighten specifications

The increasing number of incidents involving children falling to their deaths from highrise balconies in recent times has brought the issue of such preventable tragedies into stark focus, industry experts told Gulf News yesterday.

They pointed out building specifications need to be tightened - and unified - across the country. "You can't have a situation where balcony heights in one place are okay at 90cm, but need to be 100cm at another, and 110cm at yet another," said one engineering expert.

Consultants and parents also believed the specifications regarding balcony heights imposed by the civic authorities in the various emirates do not meet actual safety requirements.

Certain unified standards should be also be imposed regarding the design of the balcony edge and the railings, they stressed. Besides, windows, stairwells and allied areas should also be examined more closely, to ensure they do not pose safety risks.

Engineers called on the authorities to take into consideration the current social and physical changes - the population as a whole is growing taller - and to impose comprehensive safety standards at buildings to cover all age groups, and to take into account evolving trends in the construction industry.

For instance, glass is increasingly being used as a building material - but there are no standards specifying the kinds that can safely be used, for the various applications involved, they said.

They charged that in most instances the highest safety concerns are accorded to the inside of flats - but the outer areas such as those leading to windows or balconies, as also the public areas such as stairwells and elevators, either do not have adequate safety standards, or are not applied rigorously.

The appearance of the building's elevation is also given more priority by both the authorities and the consultants over safety standards, they added.

"The top edge of a balcony should be no less than 90cm in height from the bottom, after the concrete and tiling," said Engineer Sultan Al Mualla from the Technical Section at Sharjah Municipality. "The width also should be no less than 90cm, to guarantee user safety."

He stressed municipal building inspectors check all required specifications in a new building are adhered to before the issue of the execution certificate, needed for water and electricity connection.

"The municipality orders demolition or reconstruction whenever there is a violation," he pointed out.

Engineer Al Mualla added the Planning and Survey Department scrutinises building designs as well, to guarantee the appearance of the building elevation meets the standards set for its location.

But Engineer Osama Hasanein Kamel, Managing Director of Sharjah-based Gulf Consultancy, believes balconies and stairwells meet, at best, 60 per cent safety requirements.

"The 90 cm height is not enough to guarantee safety - other factors should be taken into consideration to guarantee the height does not become lesser.

"For instance, in most cases a gap is left between the built edge and the railing on which children climb and, accordingly, the height becomes less than 90cm - which anyway is not enough," he contended.

"Further, while carrying out execution works, the stipulated 90cm height is sometimes not met by a few centimetres."

He pointed out the fines imposed in such cases by the authorities is all very well - but the bottom line is, they still do not help meet safety standards, and that particular balcony will remain short of the required 90cm. He said according to international standards, the height of the balcony is 90-105 cm.

"Each community should take into consideration the average height of its people, especially children, and the social practices," he said.

"For the UAE, 105cm should be imposed as the minimum required," he believed.

He also called for the imposition of certain standards for glass used at balconies and windows: "The civic authorities do not stress the quality of the used glass. Using breakable and untreated qualities - which no doubt reduce costs - pose another risk."

Engineer Suhair Abdullah Humaid, from Arif and bin Toak Consulting, Architects and Engineers, meanwhile explained the minimum height imposed by Dubai municipality is one metre.

But she felt even this height is not enough to guarantee the safety of children.

"Architectural consultants usually pay more heed to the appearance of the building over the safety of its specifications," she said.

"And if some seek to provide safety in building designs, they differ in addressing the needs of different age groups. For instance, the non-imposition of comprehensive and well studied standards lead some consultants to follow safety specifications as required for infants, while neglecting those related to elder children - or vice versa," she explained.

Engineer Suhair also said the younger generation is growing to a taller average height than the older generations, even as they are exposed to more violence, aggression and fictional scenes on television, perhaps leading a five-year-old to try Superman stunts from the balcony.

"Coupled with all of these factors is the fact that mothers have become more busy than in the past and cannot keep a close eye on their children throughout. Such social and physical changes should be taken into consideration by the authorities and the consultants in order to provide safety standards in buildings," she stressed.

Another engineering expert pointed out the consultant himself should be fully aware of international safety regulations before being allowed to practise, and that such awareness of safety factors should be instilled and fostered in each member of the community.

"Safety standards should be provided from A to Z in each project, covering each and every aspect, and during all phases," he declared.

He himself believed a balcony height should be no less than 110cm, and the design itself should not allow any climbing - or stocking, atop which children can climb - by users.

Rules to to be followed

Engineer Osama Hasanein Kamel, Managing director of Sharjah-based Gulf Consultancy, points out the standard parapet height for balconies is 90-105cm internationally, with the average in the UAE being 100cm, clear from floor finish to parapet top.

They suggest 105cm should be adopted, with the authorities also needing to specify the material of parapet should be strong, hard and flat on the inside, with no step.

They stress the issue of parapet height is important, and the following rules should be implemented and strictly followed. In sequence:

* The consultant should stress this in his architectural design, concept and specifications;

* The municipality should check this item and approve it before issuing the building permission;

* The contractor should execute the exact height on the site, without cutting corners;

* Both consultant and municipality should again check the final height before handing over the project and issuing the completion certificate;

* The building client (landlord or real estate agent) should check and carry