Firefighters of China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC) participate in a firefighting competition in Farwaniya Governorate, Kuwait, on Dec. 18, 2018. China State Construction Engineering Corporation on Tuesday held the firefighting competition at the construction site of Kuwait University, to raise fire safety awareness and response capabilities among its employees. (Xinhua/Nie Yunpeng)

China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC) on Tuesday held a firefighting competition at the construction site of Kuwait University, to raise fire safety awareness and response capabilities among its employees.

The competition was held at the CSCEC in Farwaniya Governorate, Kuwait.

This is part of the Chinese company's efforts to adopt a high standard in fire prevention and workplace safety measures at its construction site.

Akbar Abulati, production manager of the CSCEC university project, said that the participants of the competition are full-time firefighters for the project.

A total of 15 firefighters, divided into five groups, participated in the race, he said, adding that firefighters of each group need to cooperate with each other to complete the prescribed actions such as laying fire hoses, installing hose joints and eliminating potential sources of fire.

Since the CSCEC entered Kuwait, it has been attaching great importance to the safety of its workers, Abulati said.

"Our project here is being carried out with zero accident and zero fire," he said, citing the company's redoubled efforts to ensure workplace safety "because safety is our basic lifeline."

During the past more than two years, the project has successfully undergone various random inspections by the Kuwait Fire Department (KFD), which has won a reputation for the Chinese construction companies working in Kuwait, he stressed.

Yu Long, security manager of the the project, said that Kuwait has a long summer with high temperature which lasts for half a year.

The temperature at the construction site can reach about 50 degrees Celsius in summer, which creates high risk of fire, he noted.

To prevent fire and ensure safety of the project, the CSCEC has adopted a high standard in taking fire safety measures, Yu said.

Firstly, the site is protected by more than 30 full-time firefighters carrying out all-weather patrol inspection.

Secondly, the company holds fire drills and trainings every month to raise the fire awareness among its employees.

Finally, strict fire prevention measures are implemented at high cost. For example, all kinds of flammable construction materials must be placed outdoors and covered with high-cost fire blankets.

Many Chinese construction enterprises in Kuwait have adopted the strict management measures in this regard, Yu said.

These measures have earned a good reputation for "Chinese Construction," Yu added.

The Sabah Al-Salem University City (Kuwait University) is a key national strategic project of Kuwait. Covering an area of 6 million square meters, it will house 40,000 university students after completion.