Nearly one in three (30 per cent) GCC residents regularly ignores fire alarms and is unaware of the locations of fire exits, showing a significant lack of fire safety awareness, according to a survey.

Significantly, the study of more than 2,600 GCC residents conducted by market research leader You Gov, also found that more than half (53 per cent) of those polled were unaware of the need to test fire safety equipment, while 48 per cent had never taken part in a fire drill.

The research was commissioned by Honeywell Life Safety – a global leader in fire systems, smoke and gas detection – as part of a drive to raise awareness of the important role that the public plays in fire safety. The survey polled male and female respondents from the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

“The results of the survey reveal an alarming lack of awareness among the GCC’s residents,” said Mark Fenton, business leader for Honeywell Life Safety in the Middle East and Africa.

“This is a real concern to residents on two levels; the first being the critical aspect of their responsibility to their personal safety and that of their families. Secondly, the legal responsibility of residents to safeguard properties, they own or have rented, has increased and there is a definite need to take the necessary steps to safeguard their homes and protect themselves from serious loss.”

According to Honeywell Life Safety, these concerns are not just regional, but are common across the globe due to lack of public awareness or training on fire safety and prevention. Fire safety awareness is a crucial factor in avoiding fire-related incidents, and residents in facilities need to equip themselves with basic safety knowledge, as well as ensure that the systems protecting them and their families are appropriately designed for the risk they are protecting against.

“Fire safety systems must also be maintained fully tested and operational at all times,” continued Fenton. “Raising public awareness about fire safety is crucial to getting people to take the required steps to make sure that they are protected from potential dangers. This is a community responsibility and we must all work together to make sure that the environments we live in are safe ones.”

Some of Honeywell Life Safety’s fire system products, software and solutions such as Esser, Gent, Notifier, Morley-IAS, Gamewell-FCI and Firelite are at work in the region’s busiest airports, healthcare institutions, business centres, stadiums, industries and schools.

In the UAE, Honeywell’ systems are at work in buildings such as Burj Khalifa, Mall of the Emirates, Burj Al Arab, Madinat Jumeirah and the Emirates Towers, among others. – TradeArabia News Service