The Dubai Civil Defence Department (DCD) has made it mandatory for companies to obtain safety compliance certificates for their temporary and permanent labour camps.

Failure to comply with this regulation will result in the suspension of transactions, including licence applications or licence renewals until the offence is cleared.
The safety certificates will be issued in coordination with other concerned government departments.
DCD also announced that it would honour one company annually for enforcing best safety practices at its labour camp.  An attractive prize and certificate of appreciation will be included in this award.
The new measures follow the recent directives of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai, to improve services rendered to workers, such as health and safety services in labour camps.
Sheikh Mohammed also called for enhanced collaboration and streamlined cooperation between concerned organisations and governmental entities to deliver optimum and ideal safety conditions in labour camps.
Brigadier General Rashid Thani Al Matrooshi, director of the Dubai Civil Defence Department, said a permanent committee had been set up to ensure the implementation of labour camp safety requirements across the emirate.
Following its formation, the committee dispatched safety inspectors to various labour camps in and around the emirate.
It will also publish drafts in Arabic and English on safety standards in labour camps.  This will be translated into several languages and distributed to companies for posting at vantage points in the camps.
DCD will continue conducting surprise visits to camps in the emirate. Companies failing to meet safety requirements will be warned to rectify the violation.
On follow-up, offending companies will have their transactions stopped until the faults are eliminated.
Al Matroushi specifically urged companies to replace gas cylinders at labour camps with a central gas system, avoid random storage of materials, avoid using camps for purposes other than housing workers, prevent overcrowding of rooms with large numbers of workers and ensure safety equipment is operational round the clock.
He said the Dubai Civil Defence Department would collaborate with other concerned government departments and companies to boost safety within camp premises.