Is Burj Dubai safe?

This building has been broadcasted as the most elaborate building of all time, in height and design, however it certainly hasn’t been plain sailing all of the way. At the current moment in time, a large amount of the workers are suffering extremely low wages, work very long hours and in extremely dangerous conditions.

In the Middle East, with the amount of construction that has been going on, there have been many accidents in other projects. An example was a while back, when a fire broke out and four workers were killed. There have also been lots of protests at the new Burj Dubai as workers are being treated appallingly, as Dubai are trying to do everything on the cheap.


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On the issue of Dubai breaking health and safety rules, to ensure sure they can open the building on time they have not had the required cladding installed to help keep the building more rigid and strong from the prevailing winds. This results in the concrete skeleton of the building remaining bare, which is a grave and potentially fatal error. This is because the Swiss company that had been contracted to provide the cladding have been made redundant, with no replacement being found.

Not only is that an issue but cracks have been found in the main foundation, which is not advisable for any building let alone the impending tallest building in the world. Instead of hiring experts to provide strategies as a way of overcoming such problems, they have painted over the cracks with white paint. It is a massive shame that despite all the commercial success Dubai is enjoying with its economical boom, they are not willing to invest enough funds for the building to be built safely and properly.

My interviewee, a business woman dealing with clients buying rooms in the Burj Dubai said, “This is the way the emirate nations have always been, trying to do everything on the cheap and still be the best. They haven’t learnt the concept that a lot of hard work in safe conditions goes a long way rather than exploiting workers.”

Instead they are exploiting the workers for less than minimal wage and covering up serious issues with construction, literally painting over the cracks. These workers have resulted in causing over 1 million pounds worth of damage to vent their frustration at their treatment, according to an AP article.

Is Dubai truly the place for what is known as the American dream? Or is it grossly misrepresenting itself to the world?
http://homepage.mac.com/j.monro/070129BurjDubai/BurjDubai.html
http://www.thedubailife.com/index.php/main/newsfull/burj_dubai_is_hit_by_delays/
http://www.burjdubai.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burj_Dubai
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/949045/worlds_tallest_building/