The Central Municipal Council (CMC) has urged the Pubic Work Authority - Ashghal - to enhance safety and security at areas of excavations and road constriction works.
Ashghal has been asked to unify specifications and standards of safety and security requirements at work sites, tighten inspection and monitoring systems to ensure compliance with safety requirements.
Plastic barriers need to be filled with water or sands and there is a need to coordinate with traffic department to enhance security and safety in traffic diversions, the council recommended. Each project site must diplay a board including contact numbers of of the engineer in charge of safety and security affairs for complaints.
The recommendation was based on a suggestion made by the council member Hamad bin Lahdan Al Muhannadi, Deputy Chairman of the Council, about the security and safety barriers at road sides.
Many of the plastic barriers are moving in wind and need to be filled with water or sands and some of these barriers are out of use.
"The government is spending huge money on safety and security requirements but companies are not complying with the rules," said Al Muhannadi.
Al Muhannadi also emphasized that it is not clear who is responsible (Ashghal or Traffic Department) about the monitoring of these barriers. Many projects have no boards that show who are responsible for safety matters. Ashghal has no online service for complaints, said Al Muhannadi’s suggestion.
The committee concerned invited members from the Traffic Department who explained that there are guidelines for traffic diversions which include standards and specifications.
However, the traffic department did not receive complaints in this regard and is monitoring the diversions and barriers. Officials from Ashghal also attended the meeting and pointed out that barriers should have 30cm of water or sand to resist wind.
Ashghal currently is supervising more than 300 traffic diversions, and the authority divided the country into four zones.
CMC also recommended steps to make sure that contractors are providing workers with all necessary services.
