Any Dome disaster can easily be managed – Contractor

The contractors of the Dome at the International Conference Center in Accra have denied reports that the structure is a ticking time bomb, noting that a disaster at the venue could easily be managed.

A member of the construction team, Fernick Otchere, explained to Citi News “when the Melcom building collapsed, it took almost the whole week to get people out. In the event of anything, it would be easier to evacuate a tent than a building.”

The Dome, which is Ghana’s biggest entertainment venue and situated on the premises of the International Conference Centre, was built from tarpaulin which is mainly rubber with the floor section made entirely of carpeted wood.

The Weekend Globe which reported the story indicated that the structure which was put up in 2008 had seen no renovation. The report indicated that the materials the structure was made of coupled with the limited number of exit points made the place fire prone.

According to Mr. Otchere, adequate measures had been put in place to ensure the safety of users of the premises.

“It happens to be one facility with a lot of safety features in place… We have over eight entrances in the front side. We also have the same number at the back for exit. We have extra six I think at the head side and six at the tail side so there are so many entrances and exit point.”

He continued saying, “we also have fire extinguishers and this place is always manned by the Fire Service anytime there is an event.”

Mr. Otchere maintained that “a structure like that can last as long as it runs, so long as the structure does not leak, so long as the floor is solid, it can last; it is a very modern venue.”