Beirut fire destroys vehicles, sparks debate on generator safety standards

by Featured NewsMiddle East - Breaking News

Fire damages vehicles and nearby buildings in Beirut

A fire erupted early Saturday in Beirut’s Hamra district, reportedly caused by an overloaded power generator and adjacent diesel tanks, as reported by LBC International.

The blaze led to extensive material damage, burning approximately 25 vehicles and affecting nearby buildings.

The incident occurred near residential structures, highlighting ongoing issues surrounding generator safety in the densely populated city.

The fire also resulted in minor injuries.

A foreign worker sustained an injury after jumping from an upper floor to escape the thick smoke.

Additionally, a Lebanese woman suffered a minor injury and was treated at a nearby hospital.

Concerns rise over generator placement near residential areas

This latest incident has raised questions about the placement and safety protocols for generators near residential buildings in Beirut.

Many generators, often situated close to living areas, lack basic safety measures, heightening the risk of fires and subsequent property damage.

Sawsan Dahham, CEO of Sienna, commented on LinkedIn: “In Lebanon, where public electricity is unreliable, diesel generators are the primary power source for homes and businesses.

“However, in the absence of government-mandated fire safety regulations, these generators are installed without planning, inspection, or maintenance.

“This lack of oversight poses severe risks to both public safety and property.”

Call for fire safety standards amid recurring incidents

In the absence of stringent fire safety regulations, incidents involving generators and fuel tanks have become alarmingly common.

NFPA, the National Fire Protection Association, provides specific guidelines for the safe installation and maintenance of generators through codes such as NFPA37 and NFPA30, addressing issues like placement, ventilation, automatic shutdowns, and fuel handling.

However, these standards are not widely implemented in Lebanon.

“Such tragic events remind us of the crucial role that codes and standards play in safeguarding lives and properties,” Dahham added.

“Their implementation is essential for creating a safer world, where avoidable disasters like this one become far less common.”

Diesel generators: a growing safety risk in Lebanon

Beirut’s reliance on diesel generators stems from Lebanon’s unstable electricity supply, which has made generators a primary source of power for many homes and businesses.

However, these generators are often installed without inspections, planning, or regular maintenance, increasing the likelihood of fire hazards, particularly in high-density areas.

The absence of governmental oversight in regulating generator use and placement has allowed safety concerns to grow unchecked, impacting residents’ safety and property values.

Recent incidents, including the fire in Hamra, underscore the urgency of addressing this widespread issue.

Beirut fire destroys vehicles, sparks debate on generator safety standards: Summary

A fire in Beirut’s Hamra district destroyed around 25 vehicles and caused damage to nearby buildings, raising concerns about generator safety near residential areas, as reported by LBC International.

The fire, which ignited from an overloaded generator and nearby diesel tanks, led to minor injuries for a foreign worker and a Lebanese woman.

Lebanon’s dependency on diesel generators due to an unreliable public electricity supply, combined with the absence of safety regulations, has made such incidents increasingly common.

NFPA has established safety codes like NFPA37 and NFPA30 to ensure safe generator use, but these standards reportedly remain largely unenforced in Lebanon.

Comments from industry experts like Sawsan Dahham highlight the need for regulatory oversight to mitigate risks associated with the widespread use of generators in populated areas.

Honeywell donates 25,000 FFP2 face masks for Beirut relief effort

by Middle East - Featured News Archives

Honeywell has announced it will donate 25,000 FFP2 respirator face masks to the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC), to help support relief efforts following the explosion in Beirut earlier this month.

The masks, which Honeywell expects to ship to Lebanon this week, will provide AUBMC’s front-line staff with critical PPE as they continue to treat patients injured by the explosion amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Miroslav Kafedzhiev, vice president and general manager Middle East, Russia, Turkey and Africa, Honeywell Safety and Productivity Solutions said: “As a world leader in advanced Personal Protective Equipment we are committed to providing front-line healthcare workers with the equipment they need to help keep us safe.

“We are proud to be supporting the medical staff at AUBMC who are caring for those injured by the recent explosion in Beirut, and our thoughts are with all those affected by the tragedy.”

Walid A. Katergi, CFRE associate vice president for development, American University of Beirut said: “Our doctors, nurses and other front-line staff are working tirelessly to treat those hurt in the explosion amid the added pressure and uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We send our deepest thanks to Honeywell for its kind donation of this critical equipment, which will help protect our teams as they focus on providing patients with the best possible care.”

Honeywell’s intelligent safety solutions and personal protective equipment help organizations keep their workers safe and healthy on the job.

The company’s offerings include hazardous gas detectors, safety software solutions and personal protective equipment such as gloves, protective eyewear, respiratory protection, safety suits, hard hats and boots.

Honeywell demonstrates its commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility and community involvement through Honeywell Hometown Solutions – a unique global corporate citizenship program that emphasizes STEM education, inclusion and diversity, and humanitarian relief to provide significant and meaningful results in communities around the world.

www.honeywell.com/en-us

Beirut explosion: Lebanon faces humanitarian emergency

by Middle East - Featured News Archives

The explosion in Beirut is further straining the health system and food supplies, as well as risking the country’s COVID-19 response. 

Lebanon faces a humanitarian emergency following the explosion on Aug 4, 2020, of more than 2000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate stored at Beirut’s port that has added severe strain to a health system already buckling under an economic crisis, civil unrest, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the hosting of some 1.5 million refugees in a country of about 6 million people.

The blast killed at least 200 people, injured more than 6,000, and left 300 000 homeless. On Aug 10, soon after rejecting an international inquiry into the explosion’s cause, the government resigned amid rising anger and protests demanding the removal of the political elite and an end to corruption, bad governance, and mismanagement.

International donors pledged 253 million euros in aid at a summit arranged by France on Aug 9, but they also called on the Lebanese Government to listen to demands for reform made by protesters.

WHO said three hospitals were non-functional and another two suffered substantial damage. In addition, 17 containers with essential medical supplies and a recently delivered shipment of personal protective equipment to tackle COVID-19 were destroyed at the port.

“WHO is deeply concerned about the hospital and health workforce capacity, supplies of medicine, and chemical fumes which might have a harmful impact on the health of people with underlying conditions”, the agency said in a donor alert issued on Aug 6.

Officials estimate that the explosion caused up to US$15 billion of damage. Damage to the port was expected to exacerbate the economic and food security situation because the port was a major entry point for aid, and Lebanon imports 80–85% of its food. According to the UN World Food Programme, even before the explosion, 50% of Lebanese people surveyed said that they were worried about not having enough to eat.

“It’s a catastrophe, it’s incomprehensible. Everyone is traumatised and there is a big mental health impact”, Iman Nuwayhid, dean of the faculty of health sciences at the American University of Beirut (Beirut, Lebanon).

Lebanon reportedly has enough doctors and nurses but is facing shortages of medical supplies, even before the blast, because of an economic crisis over the past few months, according to Karam Karam, a clinical professor of medicine at the American University of Beirut. A devaluation of about 80% in the Lebanese pound and bank controls on foreign currency meant that imports of medicines and equipment had become much more costly. “People are dying because they don’t have shelter or money to pay for health care”, he said. “Everyone blames the criminal and corrupt junta that rules us.”

Before the explosion, 75% of Lebanese people were in need of aid, 33% had lost their jobs, and 1 million people were living below the poverty line, and these numbers were considered likely to rise.

COVID-19 is posing a further burden – more than 6,000 cases and 78 deaths had been recorded by the health ministry as of Aug 8. There could be a spike in cases because many health and rescue workers responding to the explosion, as well as protesters, have not observed social distancing or worn masks.

While the resources of many hospitals were being directed towards the casualties of the explosion, the capacity to deal with COVID-19 should not be lost, urged Firass Abiad, the general manager of Beirut’s Rafik Hariri University Hospital (the main Lebanese Government hospital charged with managing the epidemic), in a tweet on Aug 6.

There was also concern about the impact on health caused by the chemicals released by the explosion. “The main long-term hazard is from combustion products such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are carcinogenic”, Roy Harrison, Professor of Environmental Health at the University of Birmingham. More immediately, the main health hazard was from the formation of particulate matter that causes reductions in lung function and symptom exacerbation in people with asthma, he said.