Developers of new industrial and commercial buildings will have more flexible, less expensive options to comply with the UAE Fire and Life Safety Code’s new revisions, effective early 2019, said fire experts on Wednesday in Sharjah.
Approved in September, the new fire code maintains strict new building standards to ensure the highest levels of safety, but has clawed back some older fire safety requirements from 2011 regarding new building fittings, to reduce construction costs.
More than 200 developers and owners of industrial and commercial properties were briefed by experts speaking at the Sharjah Civil Defence’s second annual Fire Safety Forum under the slogan ‘Happiness of Partners and Consumers’.
Jenan Abdul Hadi Tanina of Sharjah Civil Defence said the new code revisions will mean reduced costs for new buildings, but will help the vigilance against fire accidents.
Some of the major changes, he said, will see a substantial reduction in the size of essential infrastructure elements such as water tanks and hydrants in buildings, from high-rise down to low-rise structures.
For example, sprinklers once required in false ceilings as well as in bathrooms are no longer needed in new buildings under the revisions,
Similarly, telephone and electrical rooms will not be required to house fire extinguishers. The new revisions have also eliminated the need for fire dampers in general buildings.
Also, new warehouses will no longer need smoke extraction systems, according to the fire code, but fan exhaust systems must still be built into the storage structures.
Colonel Sami Khamis Al Naqbi, Director General of Sharjah Civil Defence, told Gulf News: “This forum is part of the continuous efforts made by Sharjah Civil Defence and all other governmental departments and institutions concerned to ensure the safety and protection of residents.”
The new code outlines the obligations of contractors, consultants, developers, unit owners and tenants.
Consultants, who are largely responsible for approving materials and procedures, face tough penalties if they don’t carry out their jobs correctly, he said, and will held liable.
The UAE Fire and Life Safety Code contains changes based on best practices and past learning of fire stations, Col Al Naqbi said
Col. Al Naqbi said the changes in the code define the responsibilities and duties of the different stakeholders, from the developer and consultant to contractor and supplier.
“The code indicates roles and responsibilities of all stakeholders, and ensures that the code is implemented properly,” he said. “The code also asks the relevant stakeholders to state qualifications and their activities.”
SOURCE : GULFNEWS