Combisafe helps prevent falls at $500m Dubai development

Combisafe has developed a fall-safety system for a US$500m (£308m) development in Dubai. Al Shafar General Contracting LLC (ASGC) is building the Onyx, a mixed-used project in the centre of Dubai. The Onyx comprises two office towers, with 15 and 24 storeys respectively, and a third tower of 14 storeys that will be home to a four-star hotel with a glass façade. All three towers of are inter-connected by a common podium featuring restaurants and retail units.

The Combisafe engineering team worked with ASGC at the earliest stage of the construction process to ensure the most appropriate, safe and cost-effective protection system was used during erection.

Combisafe Safety Net Fans with a projection of 3.3m were chosen and ASGC has used 107 of them to cover the entire circumference of each tower to protect public and workers below from any materials, tools or debris which may fall from the building. An additional 13 units of the Safety Net Fan Maxi were also specified for use on the slab off the main podium building as it offered an increased level of protection and containment against falling debris.

“We have specified the Combisafe Safety Net Fan on previous projects and once again we found this versatile and highly adaptable safety solution was able to meet our strict safety requirements,” said Elia Makar of Al Shafar General Contracting. “The Safety Net Fan is easy to assemble and manoeuvre and offered protection against falling objects to the workers and pedestrians below.”

The Safety Net Fan Maxi extends the catching width of the standard Safety Net Fan and Combisafe said that is has been proven to arrest falls of up to 100kg from a height of 6m.

The project is due for completion this year.