Erring companies will face hefty fines for fire incidents
sharjah — As part of its precautionary measures, the Sharjah Civil Defence has introduced advanced equipment to minimise fire accidents that see a spike during the summer.
Col Sami Al Naqbi, DirectorGeneral of the Sharjah Civil Defence, said that the department also has planned intensified awareness programmes and inspections throughout the year, targeting companies and warehouses to ensure that they are following the prescribed rules and regulations. “The errant companies will face hefty fines which will be determined based on the gravity of the violation,” he added.
Col Al Naqbi pointed out that the department always seeks to provide protection and safety to the public by introducing precautionary measures to prevent occurrence of fire accidents. These measures include awareness programmes that educate the people to implement the fire safety procedures at workplace, petrol stations, companies, buildings, homes and in the cars.
He warned the public of increased cases of gas leak and cylinder explosions due to high temperature. Improper ways of storing and overstocking the cylinders were blamed for the accidents in many cases.
The department also encouraged families to ensure gas cylinders were kept in secure locations, and out of the reach of children.
Gas cylinders should not be exposed to direct sunlight. The safety of gas lines, ovens and the availability of fire extinguishers are keys to avoid accidents.
Kitchen ventilators that trap grease could overheat and ignite — a main reason for fires in homes and restaurants.
He urged the residents to ensure that the transformers and electrical connections are functioning efficiently, and avoid the use of poor quality electrical cables or extensions to plug in power to devices such as refrigerators, heaters, air conditioners and suction fans.
Col Al Naqbi also stressed the need to ensure the availability of safety requirements for cookers and examine all electricity and gas connections. If any fault is detected, professional technicians should be called to repair it.
Don’t allow children in the kitchen while working cooking hot liquids, such as oil and water, he cautioned.