Worker housing safety lapse to be punished

Dubai: Companies housing workers in labour accommodation will face tough penalties if they fail to comply with safety regulations, the Dubai Civil Defence Department announced on Saturday.
 
Failure to obtain mandatory safety compliance certificates for both temporary and permanent labour accommodation will result in a suspension of transactions, including licence applications or renewals.

According to the Dubai Civil Defence Department (DCD), companies will now only be issued one warning before their transactions are suspended and the penalty will only be lifted once the faults are rectified.

The measures are being put in place following recent directives issued by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, in which he ordered immediate measures be taken to improve the living conditions of labourers.

Several fires have broken-out at labour accommodation in recent years, destroying accommodation and in some instances injuring workers.

Brigadier Rashid Thani Al Matroushi, Director of the DCD, urged companies to comply with the regulations by replacing gas cylinders at labour accommodation with central gas systems, avoiding random storage of goods and using the accommodation for anything other than housing, preventing overcrowding within the accommodation and ensuring that fully-functioning safety equipment is available.

Al Matroushi said a committee had been established to ensure the implementation of the safety requirements and inspectors are being dispatched to accommodation throughout Dubai to monitor progress, conducting random, spot visits.

While his organisation is not directly involved in the safety drive, Salem Bin Mesmar, Chairman of Dubai Municipality's Committee on Environment and Health Affairs of Labourers, described the move as a "good initiative".

A brief look into the past

- July 31, 2004: A massive fire destroyed housing for 3,500 construction workers near Shaikh Zayed Road. The fire broke out at 12.30pm and took four hours to be brought under control.

- November 8, 2004: A housing compound for 1,600 workers in Jebel Ali was destroyed by fire.

- October 14, 2006: Fire broke out at 8.30am at accommodation for labourers working on a site at Arabian Ranches. Witnesses said that the fire destroyed around nine rooms, each housing 20 people, some of whom sustained slight injuries.

The idea of introducing safety certificates for Labour camps is highly appreciated. Companies should also encourage their safety teams to visit labour camps and give advice and recommendations on safety lapses. This will help companies save huge penalties and their reputations.
Ahmad
Dubai,UAE