Some recommendations

Parents and guardians must watch their children’s activities at all times. Use window protectors or locks. Do not allow any window to be open more than four inches. Move furniture away from windows so children cannot climb on to it. Educate children and teens of the risk of climbing out of a window or jumping from it. Schools should adopt teaching material on how to educate children on the dangers of falling in a way that is within the scope of the curriculum. Force landlords to change the windows and balconies of their buildings to improve safety. Require owners of buildings to install locks on windows to prevent children from slipping, especially those windows that have opening slots of more than four inches. Inspections on all older and modern buildings to ensure that procedures and safety requirements are in place. Report any malfunctions related to windows and locks as soon as you spot them.

Building safety codes being reviewed Sharjah

Abdul Aziz Al Mansouri, Assistant Director-General of Sharjah Municipality for engineering projects, said the requirements of construction of buildings were modified. These include:

Ajman

90cm

Yahya Ebrahim Ahmad, Director-General of Ajman Municipality, told Gulf

News, “Buildings should have protective railings on balconies and on roofs and the height of a windowsill should not be less than 90 centimetres unless there is a balcony in front of the window.” Ajman Municipality’s new rules also stipulate that windows should be hinged and closed from the top. In terms of engineering design, he said residential buildings should be different from commercial buildings in their design of balconies and windows. He suggested that the General Secretariat of Municipalities should circulate to all municipality departments of the UAE certain specifications which should be followed in buildings’ balconies and windows.