Ryan Mitchell, Farnek’s head of QHSEW. (Image source: Farnek)

Farnek, a prominent smart and green facilities management (FM) company based in the UAE, was recently awarded at the "Better Together Awards," where it was given the headline prize for its outstanding health and safety initiatives.

The Expo City Dubai-organised awards honour exceptional individual and group accomplishments in worker welfare (WW) and health and safety (H&S), honouring its employees and contractors who help create a safer and healthier work environment at Expo City Dubai.

Farnek received the flagship honour, the "Better Together Award," which is granted to an organisation that has the finest initiative to promote cooperation and engagement with Expo City Dubai in 2024, demonstrating real-world implementation and measurable outcomes.

“This award recognises Farnek’s longstanding commitment, dedication and consistency, advancing the company’s H&S and WW strategy, which aligns closely with Expo City Dubai’s core values of care, integrity and excellence,” said Ryan Mitchell, Farnek’s head of quality, health, safety, excellence and wellbeing (QHSEW).

In order to increase the calibre and effectiveness of HSE reporting, Mitchell oversaw the Expo City HSE teams and used SAFETEK, a digital safety management technology. In order to create a safer atmosphere for renters and guests, he was able to reduce safety incidents by 21% and increase reporting observations by 38%.

At the awards ceremony, Farnek's Worker Welfare Officer, Mary Grace Besabella, was also acknowledged. She was given the Worker Welfare Impact Award for raising employment, housing, and transportation standards at Expo City Dubai in order to improve worker welfare.

Besabella supported a safe, friendly, and healthy workplace by attending to the needs and expectations of every employee. In order to initiate the reform of the operational structure, she also organised events and promoted health programmes.

OOMCO's leadership team travelled to key partners during HSEQ Week. (Image source: OOMCO)

The Oman Oil Marketing Company (OOMCO) launched its annual Health, Safety, Environment, and Quality (HSEQ) Week from 8-12 December.

Through important initiatives, awareness workshops, and strategic partnerships, OOMCO engaged employees, stakeholders, and the broader community in a five-day event that showcased the company's commitment to fostering a culture of health and safety.

Brigadier General Engineer Ali bin Saif Al Maqbali, Chief of the Civil Defence and Ambulance Authority (CDAA), presided over a distinguished Kick-Off Ceremony to start the week.

Notable stakeholders, including representatives from the Ministry of Labour, Oman Energy Association (OPAL), and Civil Defence, attended the HSEQ Contractor Forum. This event promoted cooperation in health and safety management, promoted the exchange of ideas, and highlighted best practices.

OOMCO's leadership team travelled to key partners during HSEQ Week in order to coordinate health and safety goals, gather critical input, and strengthen collaborations.

Employees at OOMCO took part in a variety of events aimed at raising awareness and promoting healthy lifestyle choices. These included medical examinations, blood drives, educational campaigns on important subjects including diabetes prevention and breast cancer, and a daily safety quiz. The session "No to Amputation for Diabetic Foot Patients," which focused on the value of early intervention and preventative care for diabetic patients, was one of the most noteworthy efforts.

To increase the influence of its health and safety initiatives outside of the workplace, OOMCO partnered with institutions like the Cancer Association, Oman International Hospital, and the Blood Bank.

Tarik Mohammed Al Junaidi, CEO of OOMCO, said, “Our Annual Health and Safety Week exemplifies our unwavering dedication to safeguarding the health and welfare of our employees, partners, and the community. We strive to exemplify health and safety as essential elements of our operations through such programmes, while cultivating a culture that emphasizes the well-being of all those we serve.”

The inauguration was held on 27 November 2024. (Image source: Canva)

Parsons Corporation has announced the official launch of the Riyadh Metro, marking a significant milestone in the transformation of the Saudi capital's urban transport network.

The inauguration, held on 27 November 2024, celebrates the culmination of years of collaborative effort under the Royal Commission for Riyadh City (RCRC).

By August 2024, the Riyadh Metro Transit Consultants (RMTC) achieved over 7 million work hours without a lost-time injury, reflecting the rigorous health, safety, and environmental (HSE) standards maintained throughout the project. This milestone was supported by more than 450,000 HSE inductions and over 13,000 targeted HSE campaigns, underscoring the project's strong commitment to workplace safety and operational excellence.

Parsons played a pivotal role as the lead partner in the Riyadh Metro Transit Consultants (RMTC), a joint venture with Egis and SYSTRA. The consortium was tasked with project and construction management for two major contracts within the metro's development. With the successful delivery of these projects, Parsons has reaffirmed its reputation as a leader in managing complex infrastructure initiatives.

“From its inception, the Riyadh Metro was conceived as a transformative project to reshape urban mobility and dramatically improve the lives of residents and visitors alike. On behalf of Parsons, a long-term partner of the RCRC, and the lead consultant for the delivery of this world-class system, I would like to congratulate His Majesty King Salman and His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohamed Bin Salman on its first day of operations,” said Pierre Santoni, president, infrastructure EMEA at Parsons. “We look forward to supporting the city of Riyadh and the Kingdom in the successful completion of subsequent stages of the metro and the wider Saudi Vision 2030, by using global experience and deep local expertise to deliver excellence on every project.”

Larry Wilson, Author and CEO, SafeStart, emphasises the critical importance of identifying "when" we're most vulnerable to complacency and critical errors. Read on:

As we keep exploring the series Paradigm Shifts in Safety, we’re excited for you to check out the eighth article in this 12-part series.

Lots of ground covered so far: hazardous energy and movement, three sources of unexpected events (over 95% in the Self-Area), the counter-intuitive nature of dangerous activities vs. actual outcomes and then why: because when both our eyes and mind are not on task, for that moment, we are defenseless.

So as mentioned in an earlier article, it’s not that we are totally defenseless, it’s that from time to time, we are “momentarily defenseless”. which is why you hear so many people talking about car wrecks or serious injuries, saying that I really wasn’t doing anything wrong, I wasn’t really speeding or rushing. Okay, I was a bit tired and I was thinking about a problem at work, or home, or whatever… and then (car wreck, bad fall, serious cut, blown knee, concussion, etc.).

So, figuring out “when”, becomes the crux of the matter. Unless we know when those moments will happen, knowing why we get hurt badly (eyes and mind not on task/no reflex) won’t help to prevent the next one. So, figuring out the “when” part is the key. And unfortunately, for so many years, the focus has been on “what” the people were doing and how much hazardous energy they were dealing with (which is important) but not, which is the main paradigm shift here, not nearly as important as figuring out when.

When will you or me or the next guy in line— when will we be most likely to make both critical errors at the same time—where there is also a significant amount of hazardous energy involved?

Well… it will likely be doing something that you have been doing for a while, because at the beginning of any activity where there is a fair bit of hazardous energy and the potential for injury – “awareness“ or “eyes and mind on task” – is very high (see Figure #1).

During this first period with an activity or skill it is possible and normally quite natural to self-trigger or to be able to self-trigger on the amount of hazardous energy. And as a result, it’s easy to stay focused. It may even seem, at least when you first start out, that it would be impossible to become complacent.

However, as we all know, the initial fear rarely lasts forever. And over a period of time, depending on the activity or skill required, we come to the first stage of complacency. This is where the fear or skill is no longer pre-occupying.

And as mentioned in previous articles, we don’t give our minds permission to wander. It happens without our permission or without making a decision to think about something else (Figure #1). So even if you don’t have anything else you need to think about or want to think about, your mind can still drift away.

But if you’re rushing, chances are it’s for a reason. It might be because you want to get there early. More likely, it’s because you don’t want to be late. Either way, that’s what most people think about when they’re rushing—not what is the risk in the moment – right now (driving really fast on a city street). And if the consequences for being late are going to be really bad (late for meeting at work)…

Click here for the full article and to learn why understanding when moments of vulnerability occur is key to prevention, not just focusing on what we’re doing. Discover how to shift your perspective and enhance your safety strategies: https://ae.safestart.com/paradigm-shifts/8-the-complacency-continuum-and-when-vs-what/