Insurance companies, CDD discuss coordination on fire investigations

AMMAN — More precautionary measures are required at under-construction buildings to prevent fires, the Jordan Insurance Federation (JIF) said Tuesday.

Speaking at the opening of a workshop on fire investigation, JIF Chairman Ali Al Wazani said fire sprinkler systems should be set up in buildings during construction not after all the work is over.

"Fires are one of the major dangers covered by insurance companies, and... the repercussions of a blaze are severe on the damaged party and on the economy in general," Wazani said at the workshop, organised by JIF in cooperation with CEERISK Consulting Limited.

There is now more awareness of this danger and the importance of insurance, Wazani said, noting that the Civil Defence Department's (CDD) report offers the most important data, describing the fire and its causes. 

"Before I came here, I contacted people who deal with the CDD report on fires and since I am not an expert, I asked them how the report can be improved," he said.

Wazani said one point was calculating the losses caused by the fire.

Another point is to double check the statements given by the damaged party to make sure they are compatible with what truly happened in order to avoid possible problems in the future when it comes to compensation.

Representatives from the JIF, CEERISK, insurance companies, the CDD, Jordanian banks and other institutions and companies attended the workshop, which included two lectures on how the CDD investigates fires and on the investigation of insurance companies. 

The event also included an open discussion on ways to coordinate between the different parties that conduct investigations. 

Delivering introductory remarks, CEERISK General Manager Mamoon Alyah said his company works with insurance companies to identify the dangers of incidents at construction sites and investigate their root causes. 

"Fires happen all the time, and if we cannot stop them completely, we have to at least minimise their effects and repercussions," Alyah said.