We must all build a culture of safety

Health and safety should be a priority for everybody in the UAE.

There's more than a grain of truth in the old saying that "we are what we eat". What we eat is what sustains us and what, hopefully, stops us from getting ill. But if the food we consume is prepared or handled in an unhygienic or haphazard way, then we risk our own health and that of the entire community. That is why the federal cabinet moved this week to approve strict food-safety laws that will apply across the UAE.

As The National reported yesterday, the government will be working with local authorities to tighten regulations and procedures with the aim of protecting consumers and public health. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, the Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, said the objective of the law was "the development of a healthy society in a safe environment".

These words obviously apply to cooks, counter attendants and waiters who don’t wash their hands or utensils, or who handle food after handling cash or other soiled items. They also apply to the coordination of food inspection and grocery product recall campaigns across the nation. But the concept of a “safe environment” goes beyond the food industry.

Just last month, The National reported how two window washers working on an Abu Dhabi high-rise disconnected their safety harnesses while working on a ledge 13 floors up. This newspaper has, far too often, reported about car accidents where the victims were not wearing seat belts that could have saved their lives, and about children who have fallen from high-rises. Tragically, a four-year-old boy died from a fall in Sharjah yesterday.

The food safety law dovetails with other initiatives, including last year's ban on smoking in malls, the proposal to make child safety seats mandatory and workplace safety regulations. In Dubai this week, 3,000 schoolchildren are learning road safety under a programme called "I know my road rules". Of course, no law can mandate common sense, even when lives are at risk. But good laws such as this, combined with education and rigorous enforcement, can help build a culture of safety – especially when the community as a whole expects and demands high standards.

This is already happening. In the case of the window washers, the cleaning company had its contract terminated due to public outcry. When we are all aware of simple health and safety precautions – washing hands, watching children, wearing seat belts – we create a better society. The government is doing its bit, now it’s up to us.