المملكة: Professional safety and fire control, most notably … strict requirements for factories license

The Ministry of Municipalities and Housing has presented the municipal requirements of factories, through a “poll” platform with the aim of developing and improving the business environment in a way that achieves the general ambitions and goals of the individual and society together, helping those wishing to invest in this field, and raising the compliance criterion to address the manifestations of visual distortion.
The requirements stressed that the factory’s activity may not be part of another activity, but rather the entire building must be dedicated to industrial activity, according to the requirements of the Saudi fire protection code «SBC 801».
The factory is also required to adhere to applying the requirements of the Saudi Building Code in all its chapters, including the chapter on people with disabilities, taking into account the guide to comprehensive access criteria.

Technical requirements

The Ministry stipulated that the external drawers are made of safe materials and resistant to slipping such as granite, processed marble, ceramic and coarse paint with epoxy, in addition to the necessity of providing safe slopes and identical to standards for persons with disabilities, provided that they are free of defects and do not cause visual distortion or hindering movement.
She emphasized that the entrances of the factories, whether drawers or slopes, should be within the limits of the factory, while preventing the presence of any equipment or fixtures that may hinder eviction or entry and exit, especially in emergency situations.
The Ministry clarified the necessity of adhering to all approved technical and engineering requirements, including construction, electrical, mechanical requirements, ventilation and air conditioning, and health requirements, in coordination with the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources, and all works must be implemented according to the approved standard specifications, adopting designs and supervision of implementation by approved engineering offices.
As for the distribution of activities inside the factory, it is required that it be from a ground or land role with mezzanine if the site is on a commercial street.
The floors must be designed with inclinations that do not exceed 2% to facilitate water drainage, while providing places designated for management, security, and independent entrances and exits for individuals and workers.
The Ministry obliged factories to use fire -resistant materials in the walls, ceilings and finishes, while allowing borrowed ceilings or iron structures to be installed on the condition of adhering to safety standards, and also stressed the coating of metal structures, and building an external wall of no less than 2.5 meters.
She pointed to the necessity of providing areas designated for security monitoring and systems to separate oils and grease to avoid their discharge in the sewage network.
The firefighting maneuvers should be sufficient inside the factory, in addition to the construction of fire cuts between the activities, and the provision of loading and unloading outlets inside the site, with allocating a suitable space for waste.
The requirements indicated that it is necessary to obtain the municipal and operational license from the relevant authorities before starting any operational work, and it is prohibited to practice any activity that contradicts what was licensed or after the license is over.

Issuing and canceling licenses

It is completely prohibited from using public sidewalks or areas outside the licensed factory borders, or removing closing stickers, or restarting after closing without official approval, and stressed the requirements for compliance with the noise regulations according to what was approved by the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture.
With regard to hygiene, the factory requirements committed to maintain the cleanliness of all its components, including floors, ceilings, walls, facades and sidewalks, and providing healthy waste containers that are not opened by hand and are discharged periodically to avoid overcrowding, and ensure the factory is free of insects and rodents.
The requirements also obligated the provision of valid electronic payment methods ready for use inside the factory, and prevented their rejection or disruption, with the necessity of placing stickers that show the electronic payment options available in the main interface and at home.
The Ministry confirmed that the issuance, renewal, amendment, or cancellation of licenses must be carried out according to the system of municipal licensing procedures and its executive regulations.
It is required to provide a valid commercial record that contains the industrial activities concerned, in addition to an industrial license from the Ministry of Industry, and an environmental permit from the National Center for Environmental Commitment Control.
The approval of the civil defense and the relevant authorities must be obtained before issuing the license, while allowing the use of excess spaces as parking lots or to store the equipment or technical devices of the factory.
The requirements clarified that side repercussions can be used as waste areas provided that it is not more than 10 to 20 meters from the front end, and not to hinder the movement of trucks, as it is allowed to use excess spaces as other situations or service sites, provided that they are at the same limits of the factory.
She emphasized that the permitted industrial activities outside the areas designated for the industry are determined by the Central Committee formed by Cabinet Resolution No. 533 and 04/07/1445 AH, to ensure integration between industrial policies and urban planning.