Region has Rising Concerns Over Standards of Fire Safety

DUBAI, UAE, February 22, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a recent report, the majority of fire safety standards within the Middle East and North Africa region are based on codes developed by the US-based National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Driven by the increase in high-rise construction projects, where the association has devised specific tall building fire codes; and the availability of local training courses, have resulted in the NFPA codes becoming one of the most powerful fire safety resources within the region.

In addition, a recent survey conducted by IQPC has revealed that 85% of the respondents cited the NFPA codes as being the most influential fire safety standards throughout the MENA region.

Sumir Pattoo a Senior Fire Protection Engineer at Saudi Aramco, who will address the origin and application of fire codes at Fire Safety MENA 2011, believes the reason NFPA codes are the most influential in the region are "...they are extensive in covering a huge range of elements both within aspects of fire protection and fire prevention. These codes have requirements which are based on concrete research".

Qatar, in particular, aims to match international standards of fire and risk management, especially after the 2022 FIFA World Cup win, which in turn will result in an unprecedented growth in building development and huge foreign capital investment. The local Civil Defence Authority aims to promote and enforce all necessary preventative measures to avoid the risk of fire, including ensuring fire and life safety systems are maintained through regular inspections.

The NFPA will be facilitating an accredited technical training course at IQPC's Fire Safety MENA 2011 conference taking place from 3 - 6 April 2011 at the Oryx Rotana in Doha, Qatar. As one of the world's leading advocates of fire prevention and an authoritative source on public safety this course will benefit professionals directly and indirectly involved in fire safety.

At the event, the International Safety Quality Environment Management Association (ISQEMA) and World Safety Organisation (WSO) will be represented by Chairman and Board Director respectively, Wayne Harris, who will evaluate fire safety within construction projects and Chair the conference. The Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE) Saudi Arabian Chapter will be represented by President Ali Mokhtar who has based his presentation topic on the role of their society.

About IQPC

IQPC provides business executives around the world with tailored practical conferences, large scale events, topical seminars and in-house training programs, keeping them up-to-date with industry trends, technological developments and the regulatory landscape. IQPC's large scale conferences are market leading "must attend" events for their respective industries.

IQPC produces more than 1,500 events annually around the world, and continues to grow. Founded in 1973, IQPC now has offices in major cities across six continents including: Berlin, Bengalaru, Dubai, Johannesburg, London, Madrid, New York, Sao Paulo, Shanghai, Singapore, Sydney, and Toronto. IQPC leverages a global research base of best practices to produce an unrivalled portfolio of conferences.

For more information contact Michelle Petiza, Marketing Manager, IQPC Middle East. Email enquiry@iqpc.ae or call +971-364-2975 or visit http://www.firesafetymena.com