Sector: UAE

Health, safety and wellbeing standards in the construction industry in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is under the spotlight.

Members of the Institution’s UAE Branch are working with the Abu Dhabi Vocational Education and Training Institute (ADVETI) and the UAE National Qualifications Authority (NQA) on the development of the National EHS (environment, health and safety) Framework.The review is examining the qualification framework, which ranges from a Level 3 certificate up to a Level 6 diploma. Two branch meetings, one in Abu Dhabi and the other in Dubai, have provided members with the opportunity to take part in the review.

IOSH has updated three of its products – Leading Safely, Managing Safely and Working Safely – to increase their adaptability to different countries and cultures. The amendments come after feedback from customer surveys, which highlighted the need for content to be more applicable to non-UK audiences. Changes have included the introduction of statistics and laws from various countries.

Safety and health professionals and other business leaders will also be able to hear about future challenges and how they can be overcome.IOSH's sixth UAE Annual Networking Conference will see the Ministry of Education, the Abu Dhabi Occupational Safety and Health Center (OSHAD) and Dubai Municipality provide updates on their work.Meanwhile IOSH will use the stage to reveal exciting new developments with its portfolio of training products.

Members of the institution’s UAE branch visited the Al Futtaim Colas (formerly Al Futtaim Tarmac) Shawkah Quarry in Ras Al Khaimah to see the work being done to safeguard employees.The tour included a visit to the workshops, where they met the mechanics and the supervisor. They took them through the process of how they assess the risks associated with activities and how these are controlled. These controls are implemented all the way through the organisation, from simple maintenance activities to stripping down gear boxes and transmissions of large machines.

During a presentation at the Occupational Safety and Health Middle East (OSHME) conference, she examined risks such as mental health problems, musculoskeletal disorders, hearing loss and occupational diseases.She also spoke about the risk of occupational cancer and the work IOSH is doing on the issue with its No Time to Lose campaign.The biennial OSHME event is one of the region’s largest conferences and exhibitions dedicated to safety and health issues.