The Joint Committee for Security and Safety, represented by the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, the General Command of Civil Defence at the Ministry of Interior, the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company “ADNOC”, the Emirates General Petroleum Corporation “Emarat” and the Emirates National Oil Company “ENOC”, launched its national awareness campaign under the slogan “Commit...Get Protected”.

The campaign is part of the Committee’s qualitative initiatives to raise awareness of fuel stations users in UAE of the safety and security indicators and the correct methods and conduct to be followed at service stations, especially during the process of filling vehicles with fuel to protect their safety, and the safety of the service providers.

The campaign, which embodies the strategy of UAE and the vision of the leadership in raising the rate of security and safety in society, and protecting the lives of individuals who are the focus of sustainable development, aims to reduce the risks and damages that may result from the wrong practices during filling fuel such as smoking, using electronic devices or ignoring any leakage or Vehicle malfunction, opening the hood of the vehicle, or moving without making sure that the vehicle refueling process is complete.

Sharif Al Olama, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure for Energy and Petroleum Affairs, said: “The Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure is working in cooperation with its strategic partners to consolidate the UAE’s position as one of the best safe and secure countries in the world in line with the UAE’s vision for the next fifty years, which aims to ensure the quality and safety of community members, and promoting of the sustainable development, of which the human element is one of its pillars”.

He added: “The importance of the campaign lies in its main role in informing the various segments of society about the principles of safety and prevention of risks and accidents resulting from the wrong behaviors while using the filling stations, the non-compliance with the instructions and advices, as the result of the fact that these stations contain many highly flammable liquids, which requires all vehicle drivers or visitors to mini-markets located in these stations to abide by their precautionary responsibilities to reduce risks, in addition to the responsible authorities taking the strict measures and the necessary procedures to achieve this goal.

For his part, Major General Dr. Jassim Mohammed Al Marzouqi, Commander-in-Chief of Civil Defense at the Ministry of Interior, affirmed the keenness of the General Command of Civil Defence to enhance cooperation and coordination with the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure to contribute to the implementation of preventive measures at gas stations to protect the lives and properties; and the need to ensure the efficiency of the safety and security equipment, the prevention and public safety at gas stations in order to deal with potential emergencies and ensure the safety of workers and customers alike and protect them from injuries resulting from risks and accidents that are expected to occur.

He stressed that the General Command of Civil Defence places the priority of “safety at gas stations” among its main campaigns in the civil defence awareness plan, with the aim of achieving the highest levels of safety and security in the setting of gas stations spread throughout the country, and by providing support for the application and observance of the general prevention measures and taking the necessary procedures to create a safe work environment, which requires strict measures to implement all the safety rules and guidelines.

He explained that the Civil Defence issued a list of conditions for security, safety and fire prevention, and the means of protection that must be provided at gas stations, including the need to ensure the presence of all firefighting devices and equipment, and to place them in easily accessible places that include foam extinguishing pumps for petroleum fire, and carbon pumps for fires of vehicles and electrical fires with periodic verification of their validity, in addition to informing gas station workers of the security and safety rules, and training them on firefighting operations in case of fires as a first responder through training courses supervised by the Civil Defense.

WAM