The Torch - one of the tallest residential towers in the world - went up in flames for a second time on August 4. Antonie Robertson / The National
The Torch - one of the tallest residential towers in the world - went up in flames for a second time on August 4. Antonie Robertson / The National

Do not sacrifice fire safety for cost, Dubai conference hears



As economic conditions tighten across the world and the Middle East, safety cannot be sacrificed to lower the cost of projects, fire experts have said at a major conference in Dubai.

Fire safety must be carried through from the design pages through to construction and maintenance without changing façade specifications or cutting corners on materials chosen, industry heads said on the first day of the Middle East Facades Summit in Dubai on Monday.

Fire safety engineers must be involved from the design stage, said Peter Stephenson, associate director fire engineering BuroHappold, an integrated engineering consultancy.

“The fire safety engineer can quite often be forgotten until an issue actually arises. They often don’t get introduced unless approvals are needed or if there is an issue on site. Irrespective of what a (fire safety) code says or not there should be fire engineer on a project. The intent now is to have a fire professional on board because it’s important to understand what the developer wants to achieve from the start.”

Experts said that the updated UAE Fire and Life Safety Code clearly states the requirement for a fire safety engineer. In earlier years the stage at which fire safety aspects were included varied between projects and contracts.

Safety has been in focus in the UAE from the Tamweel Tower fire in 2012, to the Address Downtown Dubai hotel blaze on New Year’s eve 2015 that hit international headlines, to Torch skyscraper catching fire twice in 2015 and recently this year, and the Grenfell Tower fire in London in which at least 80 people died.

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“Fire safety is coming into prominence after the high profile fires around the world with fire risk assessment and fire safety engineering becoming much more of an important factor. So from design through to construction, building occupancy and ongoing maintenance management, it is important to have a fire safety professional involved in the process,” Mr Stephenson said.

It was crucial to continue working with safety experts during tough economic conditions to ensure high standards were maintained with smaller budgets, he said.

“One thing you always see happen when cash flow becomes tight is that budgets need to be realigned, so some projects may go on hold for awhile and some may get cancelled. But if you’re well into construction that is where the risk becomes high because how do you make your saving?” he said, adding that in some cases the height of buildings may be reduced.

“Quality surveyors can work with cost consultants to maintain safety for a lower price, but with no compromise on safety.”

Knowledge of how fires started is also vital for instance, police said a discarded cigarette started the Tamweel Tower fire five years ago. The need to control the sources of ignition and the proximity to combustible items was essential.

“Generally cigarettes cause a problem if they are insulated because if it rolls under a box, is dropped in a bin, wrapped in material, the heat will build up. If it is surrounded by combustibles and the heat is contained, then it will develop into a fire,” he said.

Banning smoking in a building except in specified areas, prohibiting people from throwing cigarette butts from their balconies should be implemented.

In most tower blazes where the fire spread has been rapid, aluminium cladding with a highly flammable thermo-plastic core has been blamed for the speed at which the flames jumped to higher levels.

This non-fire rated aluminium cladding is banned in new buildings in the UAE.

Agnes Koltay, director of Koltay facades urged clients to pay attention to the advice of experts.

“I would say listen to façade engineers. Consider their advice and listen to what is suggested because if facades are tested the right way and applied in the correct way, then composite panels on the outside will not create a problem,” she said.

“There needs to be more awareness of the different materials and the correct use of these materials. It should not be driven by the pure consideration of the pricing but consideration of what value you get for that price and if it is optimal.”

Scoreline

UAE 2-1 Saudi Arabia

UAE Mabkhout 21’, Khalil 59’

Saudi Al Abed (pen) 20’

Man of the match Ahmed Khalil (UAE)

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If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.

When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.

How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
WISH
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In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter

Price: From Dh2,099

Our legal consultant

Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut

Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”

FA Cup semi-finals

Saturday: Manchester United v Tottenham Hotspur, 8.15pm (UAE)
Sunday: Chelsea v Southampton, 6pm (UAE)

Matches on Bein Sports

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Manchester United 2
Smalling (28'), Lukaku (70')

THE SIXTH SENSE

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Director: M. Night Shyamalan

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Other workplace saving schemes
  • The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
  • Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
  • National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
  • In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
  • Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
Profile

Company: Justmop.com

Date started: December 2015

Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan

Sector: Technology and home services

Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai

Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month

Funding:  The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups. 

UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions