'Fire a major threat for establishments during summer in Oman’

Muscat: A fire threat remains a major challenge for establishments in Oman, especially in the summer, an official has cautioned.
“Unorganised and poorly marked storage of cables and flammable materials in any building raises the risk of damage by fire,” said Colonel Said Al Asmi, assistant general manager for Operations at the Royal Oman
Police (ROP).
Lack of proper safety precautions at some hotels, ports, banks and other facilities in Oman can put them at a risk of catching fire, Al Asmi said, adding that fire cases increase during summer due to high temperatures.
He was talking to the Times of Oman on the sidelines of the “Fourth Symposium on Security of Vital Installations’,” which commenced on Tuesday at the Shangri-La’s Barr Al Jissah Resort and Spa.
Al Asmi also delivered a lecture on “Planning security components” which, according to him, are measures aimed at protecting items, employees, data and costumers inside buildings, offices and storages.
Other security risks include protests by workers inside or outside a facility, bomb threats, terrorism, destruction of data, spying, theft, alcohol or drug abuse while at work and natural disasters. “However, fire incidents are the most repeated cases,” he pointed out.
Oman records a fire case every three hours, according to a 2015 report by the National Centre for Statistics and Information.
Reports show that 3,335 fire incidents were reported in Oman in 2014, with 23 per cent of the incidents being reported in residential facilities.
That year, 755 house fires, 55 cases of building fires and 57 cases of apartment fires were reported.
Al Asmi also said many shops in Oman lack modern security technology.
The symposium, which will continue until Thursday, will also discuss several other topics, such as best practices in security consultancy, transport security, importance of vehicle inspection and social media security monitoring. The event also showcases latest technology and devices used for security and can be deployed by authorities in Oman.
Banks, airports, hospital, schools, ports and even commercial shops can ensure better security by purchasing up-to-the-minute solutions available at the exhibition, such as CCTV camera systems, gate barriers, fire and intruder alarm systems, thermal cameras and more.