Director of the safety department in the directorate of Civil Defense Brig. Ghalib bin Ghazi Al-Johani said the violations related to the prevention of fires and faulty or misplaced safety equipment and closed emergency exits.

Al-Johani said safety equipment and tools in a large number of schools were unfit for use, due to a lack of periodical maintenance. "Electricity loads were not properly distributed and connections were not up to specifications and standards," he said.

He said Civil Defense was continuously coordinating with the Ministry of Education to rectify the loopholes in safety measures.

A fire hit a number of girls’ schools, the most serious of these was at Baraim Al-Watan Girls’ School. This fire killed three women teachers and injured many other students and staff members.

Al-Johani called for raising the level of safety awareness among students and said evacuation plans should be rehearsed until the students and teachers were thoroughly trained.

He also said the safety equipment, especially fire extinguishers and warning systems, should be protected against tampering.

Meanwhile the departments of education in various regions asked schools to observe the World Civil Defense Day by allowing Civil Defense personnel to deliver 15-minute lectures about safety and ways of dealing with danger.

Earlier, Director General of Civil Defense Lt. Gen. Saad Al-Tuwaijeri warned against parents leaving children alone in locked homes when going out, Al-Eqtisadiah business daily reported.

“Accidents may occur at home under any circumstances and anytime. But a considerable number of accidents occur because of sheer negligence,” Al-Tuwaijeri said in a statement on the occasion of the Saudi Civil Defense Day on Saturday.

Al-Tuwaijeri added keeping food processors and similar appliances within children’s reach is dangerous. “Many children have lost their hands playing with such machines,” he said. The Civil Defense Day was focusing on safety at home.

The director also stressed the need for installing fire alarms and fire extinguishers in every home.

The director also said housemaids should be told to close gas stoves after cooking and ensure there are no gas leaks before igniting stoves, as gas related accidents were a major cause of deaths.

The head of the family should also take special care to keep exits and doors free of obstructions. “At times of fire, exits play a crucial role in enabling people to escape,” he said.

He also urged people not to lock doors to rooftops. “If at all that door is locked its key should be kept in an easily accessible place known to all family members,” he said.

Domestic workers should be properly instructed on the use of fire extinguishers, he said.

“Studies have shown that toxic emissions accompanying a fire accident could become a killer within three minutes after the fire breaks out. It is because of the sharp increase in the level of carbon dioxide and the temperature reaching 800 degrees Celsius five minutes after such accidents occurs,” he said.

Insecure or overloaded power connections, keeping detergents and medications within the reach of children and using petroleum products to clean clothes or killing insects are other common causes leading to major domestic accidents, he said.

He also warned against leaving water tanks near houses uncovered.

The International Civil Defense Organization, which celebrated the World Civil Defense Day on March 1, asked all its member countries to join the celebrations. After the Kingdom joined the International Civil Defense Organization (ICDO) following a royal decree in Nov. 1961, the Civil Defense general directorate has been participating regularly in ICDO meetings. The Kingdom also contributed to the organization by providing financial loans.