Abu Dhabi: More than 6,000 construction sites are currently operational in the capital and regular equipment checks are necessary to ensure safety within and nearby these work sites, a senior official said in the capital on Thursday.

Construction firms in the capital have therefore been urged to carry out regular tests of all cranes in order to ensure that they are suitable and safe for use, Abdul Aziz Zurub, director of health, safety and environment (HSE) at the Municipality of Abu Dhabi City told Gulf News.

 

"These tests ensure that cranes are not defective and therefore prevent major accidents from occurring. Within the next two months, it will also become mandatory for firms to conduct such regular checks on scaffolding equipment," Zurub said.

 

Currently, firms must employ municipality-authorised consultants to test all cranes in order to obtain licenses for their use from the Vehicles and Drivers Licensing Department at the Abu Dhabi Police. This regulation came into force last October.

 

"The municipality also mandates how often different kinds of cranes need to be tested, according to international standards timelines for such checks," Zurub said.

 

To ensure that firms comply with these testing requirements, municipal inspectors conduct surprise checks on building sites in the capital.

 

"If a crane without a valid license is being used, firms could incur fines ranging from Dh 5,000 to Dh 10,000. If the same violation is repeated, the penalty will be doubled and the firm could face legal action," the official explained.

 

Employing an authorised consultant to test equipment requires an outlay of about Dh 1,000 per crane used by a construction company.

 

"An accident that occurs due to defective equipment on the other hand is far more expensive," Zurub said.

 

Last July, a crane being used at a work site on Hamdan Street for demolition purposes fell while being dismantled. While no injuries were sustained, Zurub pointed out that regular equipment tests would help prevent such incidents from occurring.

 

Recently, a spate of fatalities have also occurred on building sites in Abu Dhabi due to scaffolding collapses.