Safety Training
Beyond the Cladding – the importanCe of fire Safety training Steve Morte, head of Training at Restrata, explains why it’s important for fire safety awareness to go beyond the developer, contractor and consultant, to reach the end users who need to react in the case of an emergency
In recent years, the UAE has been rocked by a number of highly publicised fire incidents, from the New Year’s Eve 2015-2016 fire that broke out at The Address Hotel in Downtown Dubai, to the fires in Tamweel Tower and The Torch.
2017 saw several fire incidents of varying severity, from the October incident at Al Khaleej National School in Garhoud to an August incident at the Movenpick Hotel Jumeirah. There have even been fire incidents on sites still under construction, such as the One Palm development. These events cause damage to the physical asset and affect those working or living inside, with
repair work in some instances taking years to complete, affecting business revenues and quality of life. Damaged towers can also be a blight on an otherwise photogenic skyline, something which Dubai as a tourist destination uses to attract millions of tourists each year. The threat posed by fire incidents to people living and working in the city, and to its environment and real estate assets, has motivated the Dubai government to assess how it regulates fire safety in the region, what measures can be taken to improve the way developers and the construction industry,
12 Security & Fire Safety Supplement 2018