Health and safety inspectors in Abu Dhabi visit hundreds of building sites each month to help protect workers operating at dizzying heights.
They check staff have all the equipment they need to keep them from harm, whether that is straps and harnesses or guardrails and nets.
The National accompanied engineers from Abu Dhabi Municipality on one such visit, to Sail Tower, a 21-storey building along Al Raha Creek.
“This is our 12th visit to this site this year because it is a major high-security building,” said Khaled Al Marzooqi, head of inspection at the municipality.
We are not out to issue a lot of fines, but awareness continues because it is a very important issue
“Our main remarks here are that passageways need to be clear, for safe access.
“Also, if the edges are more than two metres high, there should be a handrail to avoid falls.”
The scaffold – a temporary structure erected for workers to stand on and to move construction material to higher floors – must be properly secured and signed off by a third party as safe to use.
Mr Al Marzooqi said the ladders that lead to the scaffold’s top levels should be checked daily before use.
“If a green tag has been placed on it, that means it is safe to use. If there is a red tag, it should not be used.”
He said working at height remains one of the most dangerous activities.
The inspectors assess all the slip-ups around scaffolds and tower cranes to ensure the workers are not at risk of falls or being hit by falling objects.
They examine resting areas on construction sites and also check whether workers are given personal protective equipment such as helmets and hard-soled, slip-resistant shoes, and face masks and gloves to prevent transmission of the coronavirus.
Company supervisors need to make sure the temperature of staff is checked daily before they start work and that they practise social distancing once on site.
Most sites in Abu Dhabi abide by safety regulations, Mr Al Marzooqi said.
While six to 10 inspections are carried out daily, about six sites are fined each month.
“In Abu Dhabi, contractors in general follow regulations. We are not issuing a lot of fines, but awareness [efforts] continue because it is a very important issue,” he said.
Mr Al Marzooqi said the most common offences include a risk of falling objects, a lack of PPE for workers and non-functioning fire extinguishers.
Those who flout rules can be fined up to Dh10,000.
The municipality uses simulation glasses to train construction supervisors and some other employees on how to avoid accidents.
“We have analysed the top 16 hazards and programmed them in a simulator, so the supervisors and workers can live the experience of how they should react if an accident were to occur,” he said.
The companies buy the simulation glasses and the municipality officers programme them.
“We have been applying this programme since the beginning of the year, and it has proven effective,” Mr Al Marzooqi said.
“The number of accidents have dropped because supervisors and workers are now more aware of what they could face.”
No fines or warnings were issued to those working on the Sail Tower.
The municipality conducted 1,900 inspection visits to construction sites in the first nine months of 2020 and hopes to reach the target of 4,000 by the end of the year.
Dengue%20fever%20symptoms
%3Cp%3EHigh%20fever%20(40%C2%B0C%2F104%C2%B0F)%3Cbr%3ESevere%20headache%3Cbr%3EPain%20behind%20the%20eyes%3Cbr%3EMuscle%20and%20joint%20pains%3Cbr%3ENausea%3Cbr%3EVomiting%3Cbr%3ESwollen%20glands%3Cbr%3ERash%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Small Victories: The True Story of Faith No More by Adrian Harte
Jawbone Press
Grand Slam Los Angeles results
Men:
56kg – Jorge Nakamura
62kg – Joao Gabriel de Sousa
69kg – Gianni Grippo
77kg – Caio Soares
85kg – Manuel Ribamar
94kg – Gustavo Batista
110kg – Erberth Santos
Women:
49kg – Mayssa Bastos
55kg – Nathalie Ribeiro
62kg – Gabrielle McComb
70kg – Thamara Silva
90kg – Gabrieli Pessanha
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
Key recommendations
- Fewer criminals put behind bars and more to serve sentences in the community, with short sentences scrapped and many inmates released earlier.
- Greater use of curfews and exclusion zones to deliver tougher supervision than ever on criminals.
- Explore wider powers for judges to punish offenders by blocking them from attending football matches, banning them from driving or travelling abroad through an expansion of ‘ancillary orders’.
- More Intensive Supervision Courts to tackle the root causes of crime such as alcohol and drug abuse – forcing repeat offenders to take part in tough treatment programmes or face prison.
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
THE LOWDOWN
Romeo Akbar Walter
Rating: 2/5 stars
Produced by: Dharma Productions, Azure Entertainment
Directed by: Robby Grewal
Cast: John Abraham, Mouni Roy, Jackie Shroff and Sikandar Kher
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Etihad (etihad.com) flies from Abu Dhabi to Mykonos, with a flight change to its partner airline Olympic Air in Athens. Return flights cost from Dh4,105 per person, including taxes.
Where to stay
The modern-art-filled Ambassador hotel (myconianambassador.gr) is 15 minutes outside Mykonos Town on a hillside 500 metres from the Platis Gialos Beach, with a bus into town every 30 minutes (a taxi costs €15 [Dh66]). The Nammos and Scorpios beach clubs are a 10- to 20-minute walk (or water-taxi ride) away. All 70 rooms have a large balcony, many with a Jacuzzi, and of the 15 suites, five have a plunge pool. There’s also a private eight-bedroom villa. Double rooms cost from €240 (Dh1,063) including breakfast, out of season, and from €595 (Dh2,636) in July/August.
