Stringent measures and regular inspections are keys to safety
From issuing fines to fire drills and inspections, some building managers are making occupants aware of fire safety but thorough and rigorous implementation of these measures is needed.
Inspection companies said some developers who assessed buildings but found it impossible to remove combustible aluminium cladding had introduced rules to reduce risk with bans on barbecues and shisha on balconies.
“Right now, people don’t enforce the rules and security guards are not well trained,” said Douglas Ralph, president of the Middle East Real Estate Inspection Association.
“Either civil defence or the police have to be called and get involved. These people who break the rules must be fined or arrested because they are jeopardising the lives of people in their building. Enforcement of the rules is a huge education.”
In some buildings in the Business Bay, Barsha Heights and Jumeirah Lakes Towers areas of Dubai, residents are reminded that it is their responsibility to maintain a safe community and that smoking was prohibited in the lifts, corridors and enclosed parking spaces.
“My neighbour was fined Dh200 because his friends came over and they smoked shisha a few months ago,” said Jess Karly, who lives at Jumeirah Lakes Towers. “We were relieved when we heard about this, but he was very upset about the fine because he felt they were careful while using the shisha.
“When he posted that he was upset on the community group, he didn’t get much sympathy. People are definitely worried and know that a small spark can cause a fire.”
The Deyaar Owners’ Association Management, which handles buildings across the UAE, said it conducted fire drills across its residential and commercial buildings in cooperation with Dubai Civil Defence, with plans for 327 inspections by a team of fire risk engineers by the end of the year.
This will mean fire plans for each tower, including periodic audits and monthly risk inspections covering all building systems.
In nine mock drills so far, the teams ensured that all occupants were moved to safety and inspections focused on identifying faults in fire doors, stairwell pressurisation fans, fire alarms, firefighting systems, elevators, emergency lighting systems and with immediate action taken to close the gaps.
Tenants and owners are told of violations of safety rules, followed by a written notice, then a fine is imposed for repeat offences.
While fire inspections have been conducted since 2015, the number has increased after an updated Fire and Life Safety code was issued this year.
“Since our first drills, our onsite team have made significant improvements in clearly defining roles for on-site staff, assembly point co-ordination, notifying authorities and crowd management,” said Kanagaraj Gurusamy, of the Deyaar Owners’ Association Management.
“The common safety error that most on-site teams make is to give one person too many responsibilities. Frequent false alarms in the building is another area of concern.
“Most residents fail to respond to alarms when they believe it could be a false alarm. Fixing this key gap will significantly improve the response time of the evacuees.”