Abu Dhabi government has issued a directive asking building owners to use only those window fall prevention devices that have been approved by the Quality and Conformity Council (QCC) as part of its ongoing efforts to promote child safety across the emirate.

All QCC-certified window safety devices undergo rigorous testing against international standards for compliance, including child safety standards in the US and Europe, said state news agency Wam, citing a senior official.

In addition, further market surveillance testing is carried out on products sold in the UAE to assure end-to-end safety, it added.

Between 2014 and 2017, QCC conducted a host of market surveillance activities to assess the performance of window safety devices in laboratory conditions as well as upon installation in Abu Dhabi’s residential towers.

The council identified multiple examples of inappropriate or unsafe devices being used to secure windows, such as door chain locks that can be easily disengaged by a child and are prone to rusting when exposed to the humid, salty air in Abu Dhabi.

"QCC developed the Window Safety Fixtures Certification Scheme as part of its sustained drive to implement effective measures to prevent accidents involving children, who are especially vulnerable to the risk of falls," remarked Abdullah Hassan Al Muaini, the executive director of conformity scheme services at QCC.

The council has placed extreme importance on enhancing local testing capabilities to ensure installed window safety devices perform properly and are fail-proof, he added.

In 2012, QCC had launched the 'Window Safety Fixtures Certification Scheme' in order to implement Decree  24 of 2012, issued by the Abu Dhabi Department of Municipal Affairs, said the Wam report.

The decree requires building owners to install approved window fall prevention devices on all windows and openings to the exterior where falls can occur, it stated.

The QCC product conformity assessment programme aims to ensure the quality and safety of devices that restrict the opening distance of windows to a maximum of 10 cm, it added.