Fire safety systems in old buildings should be checked

DUBAI // Fire-risk assessments should be carried out at all buildings across the country, according to safety experts.

Andy Dean, head of facade engineering at WSP, said Dubai’s rapid urbanisation and growth over the past decade means many older buildings may not meet the fire safety code.

“It’s not feasible to knock down all the old buildings and start again,” Mr Dean said. “There need to be mandatory risk assessments done on all buildings at least once.

“This allows us to tailor improvements that are specific to a particular building.”

Regular maintenance of fire safety equipment and procedures is vital, but staff must also be aware of how to best use these systems.

“Many of the new buildings have very expensive fire-safety systems but that is only one part of the issue,” Mr Dean said. “We have to make sure that these systems actually work and building owners and operators have the knowledge and training to keep people safe.”

A new streamlined application process for the approval of fire safety measures in new buildings could cut waiting times to less than five days.

At the moment, anyone applying for approval for new buildings must make separate requests to Dubai Municipality and Dubai Civil Defence.

This is a time-intensive process that requires both bodies to conduct their own checks and reports.

“Under the new system Dubai Municipality will lead on the initial report and then pass the findings on to Civil Defence to allow us to carry out safety checks,” said Lt Col Jamal Ahmed Ibrahim, director of the preventative safety department at Dubai Civil Defence.

“This will mean it is much more streamlined for everyone involved.”