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News release

6 July 2011 - NR 33/11

Event puts health and safety at the heart of Abu Dhabi's workforces

The important role health and safety can play in protecting Abu Dhabi’s businesses and its workforces of the future was placed under the spotlight today (Wednesday 6 July).

The Middle East Branch of the world’s biggest organisation for health and safety professionals – the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) – hosted an event at the Abu Dhabi Company for Onshore Oil Operations (ADCO).

Crisis management consultancy Steelhenge Consulting explored how health and safety practitioners have a key part to play in putting plans in place to help organisations cope with events that threaten their survival.

Meanwhile, the Health Authority Abu Dhabi (HAAD) showed how its Safety in the Heat Programme is helping companies protect their employees from heat-related illnesses.

IOSH Middle East Branch chair Jonathan Pickering said that the event had been important in showing how occupational health and safety is central to a thriving business.

He added: “Our role is to develop links with key organisations across the Middle East to place health and safety higher on the agenda, sharing their experiences to improve the ways we protect workforces from injury and ill-health. In hosting these events we are able to share and develop best practice that can only have a positive impact on people’s working lives.

“It’s been interesting to see how a proactive government organisation like HAAD views and reacts to occupational health issues and we hope this will be the start of a working relationship with them.”

HAAD’s Darren Joubert talked about HAADs Safety in the Heat programme - a multilingual multimedia programme for creating awareness of this issue amongst the UAE employers, health, safety and environment professionals and workforces.

He also talked about how important the Emirate of Abu Dhabi’s Environment Health and Safety Management System (EHSMS) – the largest of its kind being implemented in the region – would be in developing ways to integrate health and safety even further into risk management, environmental protection and sustainability planning in the long-term.

Mr Joubert said: “It was a pleasure to speak at this IOSH event today. From here, we want to make sure government organisations and businesses take a more proactive approach to reducing the risk of injury and ill-health. We want to see employers being a pillar of support for employees - creating awareness of the hazards and risks in their own workplaces through education and campaigns.”

Phil James, regional director for crisis management consultants Steelhenge Consulting, discussed how business continuity management is rapidly growing in the region. He said companies were increasingly developing plans to cope with and manage situations that could damage their finances, productivity, and even survival.

He said: “It’s good to see more business continuity management across Abu Dhabi, as it plays an important part in building the resilience of the Government and national infrastructure in its ability to withstand emergencies and disasters - both physical and financial. And the role occupational health and safety plays in these plans cannot be underestimated.”

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Notes for editors:

IOSH is the Chartered body for health and safety professionals. With more than 40,000 members in 85 countries, we’re the world’s biggest professional health and safety organisation.

We set standards, and support, develop and connect our members with resources, guidance, events and training. We’re the voice of the profession, and campaign on issues that affect millions of working people.

IOSH was founded in 1945 and is a registered charity with international NGO status.