Builders to be given safety tips

DUBAI // Construction industry bosses are to receive training by British safety experts to reduce the number of site accidents. The British Safety Council will give eight workshops at The Big 5, the Middle East's biggest construction industry exhibition, covering topics such as fire safety, risk assessment and control of hazardous substances. There were 249 accidents on building sites in Dubai last year, most of them falls by workers without safety belts, the BSC said.

The workshops are to be held at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre between Nov 23-27. The move comes after Dubai Municipality announced last month that more than 400 of its 1,033 labour camps faced closure for failing to meet minimum health and fire safety standards. Michael Cox-Hill, BSC's general manager in Dubai, said: "It is imperative that decision-makers are committed to a safer society."

garis@thenational.ae