Day One of 3rd Annual Health, Safety and Security Forum once again struck the right chords in those looking for bettering safety solutions in the UAE
The forum began with Terry Johnson, FIFire Senior Fire Services Advisor, Dubai Civil Defence (DCD) HQ, who gave a recap on last year’s mock fire drill that was the first-of-a-kind in the Middle East.
This year’s theme ‘Safe Public and Fair Judiciary under UAE Vision 2021’ is for pushing to make the UAE the safest nation to live in. As Johnson puts forth, “if a fire starts in a building, we have already lost the battle”. Revealing Dubai Ruler HH Sheikh Rashid bin Mohammed Al Maktoum’s latest initiative '10 X' for DCD, Johnson said that this initiative will advance DCD processes to become 10 years ahead of everyone globally in terms of safety procedures. However, it does not undermine the fact that the UAE is the leader in fire safety today. He also added that “engagement with residents and stakeholders as well as through forums like HSE Forum have put the DCD ahead of other fire and rescue authorities worldwide”.
Next in line, Geoffrey Williams, founder and CEO, 3Ci Global Solutions Ltd, talked about the importance of software management tools to prevent accidents and maintain business continuity. He stated that the proven CI6 methodology can improve emergency planning business processes by utilising tacit intelligence, based on Six Sigma principle.
Abhishek Chhabra, business development, Thomas Bell-Wright, discussed the updated Life & Fire Safety Code and the role of third party testing. He mentioned that the code defines more clearly the roles and responsibilities of stakeholders for buildings. In case of fire accidents, the majority of the onus will lie on the consultants although contractors, developers and even residents will be made liable. He also stated that simply getting your products certified is not enough. “It’s the responsibility of the receiver of the certificate to know if the certifying body is authorised to certify the testing. You should be aware of the right certification for your product,” Chhabra maintains.
He also warned that strict punishment will be levied for non-compliance in the UAE.
Right certification can save you, so can the right evacuation equipment. Gary Hicks, Evac+Chair, states, “A person will not use an evacuation equipment during real-life incident if they cannot fix the equipment in 10 seconds.” Providing examples from major incidents like 9/11, he points out that evacuation chairs have helped save many lives by moving them to safety efficiently. He also adds that building design and management must be made evacuation-friendly.
Protective equipment, like evacuation equipment, can play a great role in saving lives. TenCate and ATG Gloves provided advice on selecting the right fabrics and gloves respectively and the various factors to be taken into account for choosing the right product according to fit your requirement.
Day 2 tomorrow promises to bring in more such exciting inputs from Ministry of HR & Emiratisation, as well as the eagerly anticipated mock investigation process.
