Special Report

Dubai Airport Accident Reflects Poor Safety Standards in UAE Construction Sector?

Construction companies employ illegal workers in risky jobs

DUBAI - September 28 2004 How many people died in the accident at the Dubai International Airport expansion project site? While the official spokesman put the figure at 5, the spokesman of Al-Naboodah Laing O'Rourke confirmed 8 deaths and workers who were eye witness to the accident said they saw at least 40 casualties being taken away from the site. Even thought between 150 to 300 people were working at that particular division, the city hospitals have not admitted so many patients. It is feared tha many of the workers affected by the accident are illegal workers from Pakistan and India. It is common practice to employ cheaper illegal workers by a chain of subcontracting companies which thrive due to visa shortage for big companies," said sources. According to workers, "construction sites in high security areas have separate entrance for Kalli Valli people.

The Asian expatriate workers were killed by fallen steel mesh designed to reinforce a 15 by 60-metre support wall, which is part of a construction project at Dubai International Airport. Two leading hospitals received only 22 injured workers, including nine in serious condition. The airport authorities cordoned off the area and prohibited reporters and photographers from entering the accident site. The dead bodies were kept in a police morgue near Al Qous Industrial area. Going by the casualty figures released by the civil aviation ministry, four victims are Pakistanis and one is an Indian. The Indian Premsagar H is suspected to be from the South Indian state of Karnataka. However, there is no official confirmation of the Indian casualty or his identity as the consulate general is waiting for an official list.

Al Rashdiya Hospital which is the biggest in the city has received just 10 patients and only three are treated in the hospital - one Karuppayya from Tamil Nadu, a Sikh from India and a Monover from Pakistan. Many well wishers and friends of expatriate workers who were working at the construction site were perplexed about the absence of their friends in the city hospitals. "I got a call from the construction site at about 11 AM, saying my friend was seriously injured. He got fractures on the right leg and I came rushing from Jumeirah to see him. However, I am not able to locate him," he says. However, he was discharged from the hospital.

Today's tragic construction accident is the third in Dubai in the last two and half years. Almost 20 workers at Dubai Drydocks were killed in March 2002 after a gate broke, causing a flood as they were repairing a ship. About six workers were killed in August 2002 when a roof of a power plant of Enel SpA collapsed. Indian company Dodsal was involved in the power project.

Official statement about the Accident

"Around 10:45 am this morning, during the preparation of a wall, a section of the reinforcement cage fell trapping workers. Emergency personnel responded immediately and rushed to the site. Twelve workers were rescued and sent to Rashid and Baraha hospitals with injuries while five succumbed in the incident," said the Civil Aviation Department in a brief press statement. "This is the first major incident to ever occur at Dubai International Airport during construction. Official news agency WAM quoted Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of the Department of Civil Aviation and Chairman of Emirates Group as saying:

"It is a tragic situation for all of us at the Department of Civil Aviation. I extend my heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased workers. We will conduct a full investigation into the accident. We have an extremely strict and most professionally controlled Quality Assurance and Quality Control systems in place here. We have three independent safety bodies - one controlled by the contractor, one by the consultant and one by the DCA. We would like to reinforce the fact that safety of all our people working at Dubai International Airport is top most priority." Sheikh Ahmed wished speedy recovery for all injured persons.

Illegal Migrant Workers

It is learned that many construction companies including the leading ones employ illegal migrant workers from Pakistan, India and Iran in risky construction sites as they will work for low salary without claiming many benefits given to a regular employee. In order to reduce labour cost and avoid providing benefits to regular workers, construction companies resort to employing "illegal workers." Thousands of such workers from Iran, Egypt, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the Philippines help keep this huge, illegal secondary job market.

"I am afraid many of the workers affected by the accident are illegal workers from Pakistan and India. It is common practice to employ cheaper illegal workers by a chain of subcontracting companies which thrive due to visa shortage for big companies," said sources. According to workers, "construction sites in high security areas have separate entrance for Kalli Valli people. The contractors and subcontractors get special means to allow illegal workers to work even in high security construction sites. While the workers said there were around 300 people working in the site, the official figure is almost half. Observers indicated that part of the workers are illegal migrants who dont have any documents like visa, labour card or passport. Some of them could be working under different identities and it is difficult to assertain their real identity.

While only eight of the company's own employs have died, what about the other illegal workers who were working there," asked a source preferring anonymity. The value of building projects under construction in the UAE is estimated at about $30 billion. They include many new residential districts, the construction of more than 60 new hotels across the country, the massive expansion of the airports in Dubai and Abu Dhabi and the building of large shopping centres and other commercial projects.

"Employing Kalli Valli people is common practice for subcontractors and contractors. Companies should be accountable," added sources. The UAE has been witnessing the presence of number of illegal workers and more than 14,000 Pakistanis took advantage of the four-month amnesty announced last year. When the UAE announced the first amnesty in 1996, about 75,000 illegal Indians returned home. Most people just destroy their passports and come back here on a new name and identity. The construction boom has created a new demand for such illegal migrants as companies can save on labour accommodation, group insurance coverage and other benefits given to regular staff.

Crane Crash Triggered Accident: Poor Safety

It is learned that the tragic accident was triggered by yet another crane crash. Similar to a number of crane crashes reported from different construction sites in the UAE, a crane smashed into the wall during construction of the unfinished terminal at Dubai's airport. A crane used to build a high-rise tower on the seaside Corniche road in Abu Dhabi collapsed in the first week of April, killing the crane's operator. Within nine days, nine workers were crushed to death and two injured in a similar accident in Sharjah. Negligence or poor maintenance of machinery was often blamed for crane crashes. Construction sources say that using cheap duplicate spare parts is a major reason for the growing number of crane crashes at the UAE construction sites.

Main Contractor Company

Al Naboodah's, the main contractor for the multibillion airport project, has been engaged in major construcrtion projects. It successful completed the second runway and new taxiways at Dubai International Airport in 1983. Al Naboodah's efficient and trained staff is capable of understanding and working to the exacting standards and technical requirements of all aspects of airport construction. The company's experience puts it at the forefront of airport development from basic air traffic management and safety requirements to airfield lighting applications and live fuel hydrant line construction. It was the company's good track record to work efficiently and safely in operational airports that has helped it to secure a variety of contracts including extensive apron, taxiway, infrastructure cargo facilities and hangar construction work for both Dubai and Sharjah Civil Aviation authorities. The company was involved in first phase of Dubai Airport expansion. Al Naboodah was awarded the first major civil package contract for the construction of the North Apron and Taxiways. This was followed by a variety of packages with a total value in excess of 550 million Dirhams. Following the successful completion of Phase 1 expansion works the Dept. of Civil Aviation embarked on Phase 2, which is estimated to cost 2.5 billion Dirhams.

Al Naboodah has been awarded the earthworks and piling package for Terminal 3 (AX056), which at 500 million Dirhams is the single largest contract to be awarded to any company to date. Al Naboodah has also been awarded the AX011A project for the construction of taxiways and apron expansion at a value of 207 million Dirhams. Al Naboodah have completed various airside concrete works including over 3,000 piles (driven, bored and cfa method), basement (10 m deep) and substructure works, tunnel construction (involving 50,000 m³ of reinforced concrete) and the installation of a 13 m deep, 800 mm thick reinforced concrete diaphragm wall.

The Arab British consortium company is also involved in the excavation of 9.3 million m3 of earth, 500,000 m3 of concrete, 900,000 tons of asphalt, 8,500 piles to a depth of 35m and 3,500m of diaphragm walls varying from 15 to 25m in depth. It has carried out extensive works at Minhad Airbase for the Central Military Command and for Emirates Airlines on their prestigious Emirates Technical Centre. In total, Al Naboodah has laid over 1.6 million tonnes of asphalt in of taxiway and runway construction, 420,000 m3 of concrete in aircraft apron construction and over 7.5 kilometres of fuel hydrant lines. With the experience gained over the last 18 years, Al Naboodah have become leaders in airport construction work in the United Arab Emirates. The company employs a few thousand employees who are living in the Sonapur Labour camp area. (KM Bureau)

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