Dubai Municipality safety directives for all buildings

Dubai Municipality has issued a circular requiring all buildings and shopping centres to provide adequate requirements that will ensure public safety, especially for children.

Khalid Mohammed Sharif, Assistant Director-General for Environment, Health and Safety Sector, told the media that the Municipality is keen on achieving its own strategic objectives of safety, while simultaneously ensuring public safety and reducing the risks associated with a lack of safety requirements on escalators.

The circular, issued according to Local Order No. 11 of 2003 and its executive regulation, obliges all those who are in charge of buildings, shopping centres and markets to implement the necessary safety measures to guarantee protection from risk.

The order emphasised the need to protect children from the risk of accidents that may be caused due to lack of adequate safety requirements on escalators, he added. Escalators can be secured by installing a cover to protect the upper conveyor belt. Protection can be provided at the conveyor belt’s starting area to stop children from clinging onto or climbing on the escalators, or getting their clothes stuck in them, all of which leads to risk of accidents.

The circular also pointed out that all elevators, escalators and moving passageways must have a certificate of examination and comply with the safety requirements of a a company approved by the Emirates International Accreditation Centre.