Thousands of Sharjah workers trained in fire safety

Sharjah officials are launching a fire safety campaign in advance of the summer.

SHARJAH // Thousands of workers in Sharjah's industrial areas are being trained in fire safety in a bid to stave off blazes during the summer.

More than 2,800 workers will be trained, Sharjah Civil Defence officials said, and the benefits are already being seen.

There have been several instances of fires being extinguished at early stages, said Col Waheed al Serkal, the director general of Sharjah Civil Defence. "We have about eight trainers offering classes in Industrial Area 19," he said. "Workers are taught how to prevent, control and extinguish fires in their initial stages."

He said that the emirate had so far suffered only four major fires. Last year, there were 110, a figure he expected to drop this year.

"Most of these accidents are still being caused by human errors - negligence of safety rules and poor storage of chemicals," he said.

Some 417 fire safety approval certificates - necessary for opening businesses - had been issued in April and May, said Lt Col Abdullah Abd al Aziz al Tunaiji, the director of the security and prevention section at Sharjah Civil Defence. He said the Ministry of Interior had this year provided Sharjah with four more fire engines and a 24-floor ladder.