Lightning and earthing protection company Duval Messein, which recently signed a contract for the installation of their system on Burj Dubai Tower, is calling for contractors and consultants across the Middle East to take the lead in investing in electrical safety infrastructure.

Policy makers must act now to ensure uniform electrical safety codes in both old and new properties, it said.

“In the past few years, we have seen an increasing awareness in electrical safety risks – and the willingness to cover the extra mile to neutralise them – especially amongst the leading consultants and contractors like ETA, Al Hamra Construction,” said technical director Sonjib Banerjee.

“It is one thing to raise up a structure, but long-term electrical safety is still an issue that is at the backburner for most contractors in the region – a factor that needs to be adequately addressed.”

Duval Messein has already commissioned the world’s most technically superior lightning protection system at projects like Dubai Electricity and Water Authority’s Head Office, Raffles Hotel.

“There is a longstanding myth that Middle East is not exposed to the risk of lightning, driven by the notion that the region receives scanty rainfall and has low incidence of thunderstorm,” said Banerjee.

Moreover, there is dearth of adequate codes in the region for long-term electrical safety, he said.

In such a situation, the large scale construction of high-rises may prove to be a ticking time bomb if enough is not done quickly to enforce globally recognized electrical safety standards. – Trade Arabia News Service