Safety with E24|7: Parking lot entrances...

“When I enter my building on foot, I have to enter it through the parking lot,” said S. Kumar, an Indian resident in Dubai.

The building where he lives has no regular entrance; or entrance meant for people to walk into the building, followed by a lobby or other reception space.

Instead, residents have to find their way to the closest elevator by strolling through the parking garage

“It is extremely dangerous, the elevators are well behind the first corner.

"As I enter, there is a slide immediately to the right. Motorists descend with high speed here on their way to the exit and they do not bother to check whether there are any pedestrians crossing the parking lot.”

The building of S. Kumar is not the only building in the emirate where scenarios like these unfold.

"I walk through the parking lot every morning, said Anas Obeyd," a Syrian resident in Dubai.

“There is a main entrance at one side of the building, but my office is on the opposite side, so I take the back exit. This exit is at the end of the parking lot."

"It is not a safe place to walk. On various occasions I encountered a near hit with a vehicle or scooter, because it is not clear when and where I have right of way."

Walking in any parking garage is a risky procedure. Although there are no rules restricting pedestrian movement, authorities have warned for the potential hazards.

“Teach your children the basic rules of never playing around or near a parked or moving vehicle,” said the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), while some contractors have marked off pedestrian zones in parking lots.

This being said, it comes as a welcome advice to say pedestrian movement in parking areas should be limited.

What if this is not possible?

According to Khalid Mohammad Saleh, Director of Building Department at Dubai Municipality it is not a requirement for every building to have a main entrance.

"The requirement for every building is different, depending on size, location or alternatives provided.

“In some cases an alternative entrance is permitted.

"In other cases the authority is with the master developer, which may have different standards. The developer may have required the entrance to be in a certain way," he added.

Civil Defence is involved with the specifications of building entrances.

The requirements of each building are determined in the UAE Fire and Life Safety Code of Practice.

“A single exit is permitted in any building that has four or fewer stories, and has not more than four dwelling units per story.

“When more than one exit is provided, the minimum separation distance between two exits or exit access doors may not be less than one-third the length of the maximum overall diagonal dimension of the building or area served.

“Further, the exit passageway must be separated from the remainder of the building by a two-hour fire resistance rating,” reads the text.

The same code also provides a clarification about the types of building in the country.

A low-rise building is a structure having a total height of occupiable or usable space up to 15 metres from the lowest grade or level of Fire Service Access into that occupancy.

In midrise buildings, this space is between 15 to 23 metres, while a high-rise building is defined as a structure where this space exceeds 23 metres.

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