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Local Order encompasses public safety provisions

DUBAI - Public safety has been covered in the wide-ranging provisions of the Local Order 11 of 2003 on Public Hygiene and Community Safety, recently issued by Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, UAE Minister of Finance and Industry, and Chairman of Dubai Municipality.

Through its nine Articles, the Local Order covers a range of issues pertaining to public safety including requirements and regulations concerning public swimming pools, toys, and different types of entertainment facilities.

According to Article 41 of the Local Order, "the import, export or dealing in of any commodity or product designed for serving, entertaining or educating the members of the public, is forbidden if they are found to be lacking in safety requirements as regulated by the concerned department, or represent a threat to public safety."

The same article also prohibits dealing in such items "if they are marked with scripts, pictures or images, figures or other forms of expression, that are found to be in conflict with public order, morality, norms or traditions prevailing in the state."

Such items would either be destroyed or re-exported at the expense of their owner, the local order states.

Swimming pools, particularly those meant for public usage, have been given special attention in the Local Order, as a reiteration of the emirate's concern for and commitment to ensuring public safety and health.

Article 49 of the Order empowers the civic body's Director General to issue an order determining the closure of public swimming pools if there are violations of the order and it is recommended by the concerned department.

Under the article, a closure order can be issued, in case the condition of the public swimming pool represents a threat to its users, or if there is an outbreak of an infectious water-borne disease.

The order emphasises the responsibility of the occupiers in ensuring the facility of the safety and health measures of public swimming pools.

This is deemed apart from regular maintenance work which also requires proper equipment and a qualified lifeguard at the facility at all times.

Safety of toys in terms of components used, age-wise suitability, moral and cultural appropriateness, toxicity of the toy material or covering, labelling and usage instructions - required by the municipality to be bilingual of late, and other such issues have also been covered under the order.

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