Safety measures are ignored and violated in factories, workshops and warehouses around the Kingdom. Potential electrical hazards, placing safety equipment in unreachable locations, and overcrowded storage areas are major fire hazards that are totally disregarded in many factories in Saudi Arabia. Recently a Civil Defense safety campaign resulted in the issuance of 167 violation notices to 685 factories, and in Hail alone warnings were issued to 211 factories for not running regular checkups and maintenance work. It is truly comforting to know that the Civil Defense has lately stepped up its safety inspection campaign and is taking serious measures to protect the public from the negligence, incompetence and inefficiency of people who run local factories, workshops and warehouses. Emergency operations, maintenance and electrical work are dangerous jobs that require professional skills to guarantee industrial quality and public safety. Saudi industries could suffer drastically if we fail to maintain global standards of safety in operations and maintenance jobs. However, it is difficult to maintain standards when we terminate the services of professional experts and technicians and replace them with unqualified individuals just because they are Saudis, or when we import cheap labor with inadequate skills. Many of us feel uncomfortable when faced with the inadequate skills of some maintenance technicians. It is always a nightmare to have a problem with our air-conditioners or electricity at home, because nowadays many of the available technicians do not seem to know how to fix the problem. They change the compressor and damage the fan or put in a new socket and create a short circuit. Playing with electricity is like playing with fire. However, not many people take this matter seriously. It is shocking how some women ask their drivers, who claim to be electricians, to fix their washing machines or dryers and in doing so endanger the lives of their children and themselves. The Ministry of Commerce and Industry is also at fault for allowing the import of cheap extension cords and poor quality appliances that have caused fires that have left many people dead or injured. Moreover, many unskilled workers have been electrocuted or severely burned due to their inability to detect faulty wires or damaged electrical equipment. Forcing the employment of Saudis who do not have appropriate technical skills and bringing cheap labor into the country will have adverse effects on our economy in the long run. The Ministry of Labor must develop a new strategy and arrive at more reasonable solutions to serve the nation and the public in a balanced and sustained way. The Saudization of jobs should be implemented at a slower pace. We need to invest in educational standards and training programs to develop the qualifications and skills of Saudi technicians and electrical engineers. Meanwhile, there have been too many newspaper reports about fires breaking out in houses because members of the public are unaware of basic precautionary measures. People put bars on their windows and lock their children with a maid in the house. There have been cases of houses burning and families being trapped in the flames with no escape route. Furthermore, one feels nervous around gas stations watching the reckless behavior of people smoking. Many throw their burning cigarette stubs out of car windows or in garbage cans, and the list goes on. Schools, hospitals, government buildings and public facilities remain at risk. There are no fire drills provided on a regular basis, fire extinguishers are not always available and usually there is no one who knows how to use them effectively. In many public building, corridors are cluttered and items are stored in front of emergency exits blocking an easy or quick way out, and there are no signs to indicate the location of emergency exits. Dangerous oil or gas leaks and the spillage of flammable material are not taken seriously. Failure to promptly eliminate leaks continues to be a major fire hazard in homes, supermarkets and factories. Fires are becoming more frequent and more dangerous in our country today. The Civil Defense has warned that electrical short circuits and overloading, overheated bare surfaces, leaks and spillage of flammable and combustible material, and frictional heat and sparks are the major causes of fires. It is very disturbing to see members of the public remaining indifferent and making no effort to apply preventive measures. People continue to use damaged cords, temporary connections and multiple socket connections and to smoke in prohibited areas. This reckless behavior must be stopped. Too many lives have been lost and much property has been destroyed unnecessarily. Both the public and the nation's industrialists must support the Civil Defense safety campaign. Effective measures need to be implemented without delay to ensure a safe environment for all. — Samar Fatany is a radio broadcaster and writer. She can be reached at [email protected]
