Tragic deaths in Sharjah

Four men

, The National's

Yasin Kakande

reports today.

This is a major incident (and deeply tragic) and should lead to an investigation into what happened, with an eye toward seeing if all the safety protocols were being followed. Mr Kakande reports that they were not wearing their safety harnesses, a flagrant violation of the basic safety standards of a construction site.

Falls from height are one of the main causes of accidents in the country's construction industry, according to

Build Safe UAE

, a consortium of contractors aiming to improve safety.

they put out last November to help educate labourers about the risks. The central issue is that these falls from height should not be allowed to happen as long as all the safety precautions are followed.

Build Safe UAE reported earlier this year that t

(though this number is understated because it is only those that were voluntarily reported by its members). Four of these men fell from height, while the others were hit by falling objects, handling materials, and trapped by machinery. Less noticeable in the headlines was the fact that there were 570 serious accidents ranging from broken bones to severed limbs and concussions.