Oman-based aluminium producer Sohar Aluminium was presented with an award for its annual Heat Stress Management Campaign by the Gulf Aluminium Council (GAC) at the recent Arab International Aluminium Conference and Exhibition (Arabal)
The award was received by Eng Said Mohamed al Masoudi, Sohar Aluminium’s CEO, at a ceremony held at this year's Arabal in late November in Dubai. First held in 1983, and held annually, Arabal is attended by the region's primary aluminium producers. Eng Masoudi said, “We are honoured to receive one of the aluminium industry’s most prestigious awards. It is indeed a privilege to receive this acknowledgment for Sohar Aluminium’s efforts in Heat Stress Management and awareness. The campaign is part of the company’s continuous efforts to build a culture of high safety standards among its employees and contractors, while sharing its values and initiatives with the community.”
The Sohar Aluminium Heat Stress Management Campaign operates from May to September each year, and since 2014 the company says it has not recorded any instances of serious heat-related illnesses or conditions.
The campaign covers all Sohar Aluminium's operations across the Sohar region. It aims to raise awareness by educating on how to combat stress and illness caused by the region's extreme summer heat. In addition to the campaign’s extensive programme of activities, such as environmental monitoring, physiological checks and the distribution of nutritious snacks and hydration fluids, this year Sohar Aluminium conducted daily radio broadcasts in Arabic and English to reach out to more than one million listeners across Oman as well as holding awareness sessions at local schools.
Sohar Aluminium was formed in September 2004 to undertake a landmark greenfied aluminium smelting project in Oman and is jointly owned by Oman Oil Company, Abu Dhabi National Energy Company and Rio Tinto.
