ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates - Tuesday, July 9th 2013 [ME NewsWire]
The General Department of the UAE Civil Defense called on community members to cooperate with the various action plans and programs implemented during the month of Ramadan, stressing their readiness to welcome this glorious occasion and provide the necessary preventive measure to deal with any incident.
Major General Rashid Thani Al Matrooshi, Acting Commander-in-chief of Civil Defense, appealed to both citizens and residents to adhere to the public safety and prevention requirements during the holy month in public places, homes, and Ramadan tents, to avoid fire accidents.
He indicated that neglecting safety and prevention requirements by individuals while cooking the Iftar and souhour meals may cause fires; pointing out the need to regularly check and clean cooking ovens from food remains, change the gas rubber hoses on a regular basis, to avoid any damage or cracks on it, especially when it is exposed to the sun, leading to gas leaks and the outbreaks of fire.
Moreover, Al Matrooshi stressed the importance of having the gas cylinder fixed or changed by experienced individuals, as dealing with the cylinder oneself may lead to gas leaks which result in explosions. He has also noted that cooker knobs should be switched off properly after cooking. Attention should be paid to kitchen ventilators that should be well cleaned as their continuous operation and not cleaning them cause oil to build up, which is considered a major factor in home fires.
Acting Commander-in-chief of Civil Defense warned community members against leaving incense burners unattended, or near flammable items. “These electric incense burners heat up quickly and take a long time to cool down. Therefore, they should not be left inside wardrobes, and should be kept out of the reach of children to protect them from risks of burns or electric shocks. Domestic staff should also be monitored while dealing with incense burners,” he said.
Al Matrooshi also called on parents to take extra precautions and pay attention to their children who are on summer vacation, stressing the need to keep them away from kitchens unless supervised, and prevent them from going out on porches or elevated places to protect them from falling from heights and balconies and keep them safe from any other sources of risks.
On the same note, Major General Al Matrooshi stated: “Given the increasing number of tents set up during the holy month of Ramadan, in different locations and for multiple purposes, particularly tents housing large numbers of people, the Civil Defense has set a number of safety conditions that must be observed while setting up any type or form of Ramadan tents”.
These conditions should be met by applicants wishing to set up Ramadan tents upon receiving licensing; clampdown inspections will be carried out to ensure their compliance with public safety requirements, which include the following:
1. All tents should have flexibility in their space, width and height, and must provide the necessary safety requirements for occupants.
2. Tents may not be used for storage.
3. Heat-producing equipment such as ovens, heaters and cooking stoves should not be used inside the tents.
4. Air conditioners must be at least 1.5 meters away from the tent; air processing units must be placed outside the tent, and the air conditioner unit must be dedicated to this purpose. .
5. Electric bulbs should not touch the fabric of the tent; the distance between them should not be less than 50 cm.
6. Electrical cables must be placed inside plastic hoses; automatic electric circuit breakers should be installed, taking into account the electrical loads.
7. Each air-conditioning machine must be provided with its own electrical circuit breaker.
8. The tent's interior decorations, especially fabrics, must be sprayed with a flame retardant liquid.
9. The tents’ materials should be fire-resistant and must meet the specifications adopted in this regard.
10. Sufficient numbers of water 9-liter handheld fire extinguishers should be kept inside the tent.
11. Safety officers must be responsible for the security of Ramadan tents, in order to follow-up emergency cases. They should have knowledge on how to operate fire extinguishers and water hoses, as well as evacuation procedures. They should also have a direct mean of communication with the civil defense, should they need advice.
12. A distance of 4 meters must be kept between tents; as well as between tents and any other building.
13. An area of at least 3 meters must be maintained on all sides around the tents, and must be free from garbage, grass and flammable materials.
14. Tents materials should be fire-resistant; a certificate and test report must be submitted as proof to the Civil Defense Department.
15. Adjacent tents should have set up taking into account enough space to accommodate all occupants.
Concluding, Al Matrooshi expressed his warm congratulations and blessings to the higher leadership on the advent of Ramadan, praying Allah Almighty to bless them with good health and wellness. In addition, he congratulated the people of the UAE on this glorious occasion, wishing safety for all.
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Photo Captions:
Photo 1: Kitchen risk siurces
Photo 2: Tents Approved safety requirements
Photo 3: Major General Rashid Thani Al Matrooshi
The Arabic-language text of this announcement is the official, authoritative version. Translations are provided as an accommodation only, and should be cross-referenced with the Arabic-language text, which is the only version of the text intended to have legal effect.
Contacts
The UAE Minister of Interior's General Secretariat, Tactical Affairs and Security Media Department
Abu Dhabi Police GHQ - Security Media
Chris Cron +971-(0)-50-987-1317
E-mail: cron.media@hotmail.com
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