Dubai Municipality conducted 52,233 inspections in the realms of environment, health, and food during the first half of 2024. (Image source: Dubai Municipality)

Dubai Municipality conducted 52,233 inspections in the realms of environment, health, and food during the first half of 2024.

These inspections aimed to ensure that various activities and establishments in the city complied with standards related to consumer products, food safety, health and safety, and environmental regulations.

Dr. Naseem Mohammad Rafee, Acting CEO of the Environment, Health & Safety Agency at Dubai Municipality, emphasised the Municipality’s dedication to performing regular inspections and campaigns year-round. This is to foster a strong food and health ecosystem and to create a sustainable environment that supports flexible food supply chains and secures food safety in Dubai. Dr. Rafee also mentioned the Municipality's goal to sustain the environment and conserve natural resources, thus enhancing Dubai’s reputation as a sustainable and desirable city with a high quality of life.

Dr. Rafee said, “Dubai Municipality places a major emphasis on the food, environment, and safety sectors. We constantly strive to develop these sectors and enhance their safety through monitoring to guarantee the highest standards of safety and quality of life in the Emirate. Additionally, we seek to offer a cutting-edge infrastructure that supports the growth of businesses and initiatives while ensuring strict compliance with all the laws, regulations, and guidelines enacted in Dubai and the UAE.”

Health and safety

Dubai Municipality’s health and safety team, consisting of 95 supervisors, conducted 26,566 inspections across six campaigns targeting hotel facilities, shisha cafes, hair salons, beauty centres, worker accommodations, and community markets. They also ensured the safety of public spaces, playgrounds, event venues, industrial and professional enterprises, infrastructure projects, and temporary activities.

The Municipality also conducted campaigns at ports, assessing over 17,000 shipments of consumer products, equivalent to 145,000 tons, to ensure compliance with approved consumer specifications and safety standards.

Environmental sustainability

Dubai Municipality’s environmental team completed a total of 4,331 inspections. This included 3,378 inspections of projects, industrial, and service facilities, using a smart inspection system to efficiently plan and execute environmental monitoring tasks. Additionally, the Municipality organised a virtual awareness campaign to ensure businesses adhere to approved environmental laws and regulations.

Furthermore, the Municipality conducted 783 inspections to monitor the marine environment, coastal regions, and collect sea samples, ensuring compliance with environmental laws and regulations. Campaigns also included 170 inspections as part of the monitoring program for natural reserves in Dubai.

Matt Overcasher and Steve Manypenny, field technicians with Columbia Gas of Ohio, received the Community Hero award. (Image source: Blackline Safety)

Blackline Safety has launched the Blackline Safety Impact Awards, an international safety awards programme to recognise individuals and organisations that go above and beyond to keep their employees, communities and the environment safe

“Blackline’s No. 1 priority is ensuring that every worker returns home at the end of the day in the same form they arrived, and that communities and the environment are protected from life-threatening situations,” said Christine Gillies, chief product & marketing officer of Blackline Safety, whose suite of safety devices are used by hundreds of fire and hazmat, oil and gas, petrochemical, food production, biotech, transportation, utilities, and water and wastewater organisations globally.

“Our goal is to recognise Blackline technology users who are aligned with our mission and have helped save lives by avoiding serious incidents or causalities in their pursuit of safety,” Gillies explained.

Blackline’s gas detectors and gas monitors are supported by a cloud-connected monitoring and analytics platform, enabling organisations to view in real time all their workers’ locations and gas readings in the field, and configure their devices, from any Internet-connected smartphone, tablet or computer, no matter how remote the location.

Blackline Safety Impact Awards will be presented annually in a variety of award categories, including customer, channel partner and environmental heroes, in addition to community heroes. For more information and to nominate an organization, group or individual for the award, visit https://www.blacklinesafety.com/blackline-safety-impact-awards.

The award reflects Manaseer Ready-Mix’s dedication in creating a safe and positive workplace. (Image source: Manaseer Group)

Manaseer Ready-Mix, a subsidiary of Manaseer Group and one of the leading companies in Jordan in sectors including energy and mobility, building materials, industrial minerals and natural fertilisers, has achieved the Social Security Excellence Award for Occupational Safety and Health for 2022/2023

This prestigious award, presented annually by the Social Security Corporation is awarded for the implementation of occupational safety and health policies along with their practices, with criteria including applying the best international practices in the field of occupational health and safety, providing specialised training programmes for workers, and spreading a culture of safety in the work environment.

The winners received their awards at a special awards ceremony organised by the Social Security Corporation, under the patronage of His Excellency the Minister of Labor.

Commitment to creating a safe and positive workplace

This award reflects Manaseer Ready-Mix’s commitment to creating a safe and positive workplace, sustaining its success, and maintaining its commitment in safety and health requirements according to the best international standards. This has resulted in reinforcing the culture of workplace safety in line with Manaseer’s social and economic role. Manaseer Ready-Mix is encouraged by the award to continuously apply the latest programmes and technologies to achieve occupational safety and health.

As the largest private company in Jordan, Manseer Group provides employment opportunities for Jordanians and residents while delivering high-quality products across various industries. It contributes to creating a dynamic environment for innovation and sustainability, as well as playing a significant role in social responsibility through numerous community initiatives and environmentally friendly practices. Manaseer Industrial Complex - Chemical Factory received the Green Factory Award from Jordan Chamber of Industry for the 2022-2023 cycle. The Group has also been listed in Forbes "Top 100 Arab Family Companies" 2023 for the second consecutive year, as well as receiving the Arab Quality Award in 2023, making it the first Jordanian company to receive this certificate in recognition of its outstanding performance.

CEO of Alba Ali Al Baqali inaugurated the campaign. (Image source: Alba)

Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C. (Alba), the world’s largest single-site smelter, has launched its 2024 summer safety & health (S&H) campaign entitled  ‘Safety Reflection for Family's Protection’

The campaign prioritises the well-being of both Alba's employees and contracting company workers. Designed to mitigate summer-related health risks and injuries, it offers a mix of online and in-person educational sessions running from 22-30 July.

CEO Ali Al Baqali emphasised Alba's commitment to fostering a safety culture that extends beyond the workplace and into employees' homes and stated, “At Alba, Safety isn't just a company priority, it's a family value. Our S&H campaigns are about empowering our workforce to make smart choices that keep them healthy, not just for themselves, but for their loved ones waiting for them at home.

“This year, with everyone's active participation, we're confident in reaching an eighth consecutive summer free of heat-related injuries. I encourage everyone to make Safety a top priority, not just at work, but throughout the summer.”

The 'Safety Reflection for Family's Protection' Campaign offers a blend of informative presentations. In-house experts and external speakers will cover various summer safety topics, ensuring employees and contractor workers are well-equipped with the knowledge they need to stay safe. The campaign will also feature interactive visits to shop floor areas led by the company’s top officials to showcase practical summer safety strategies that employees can implement in their daily work routines.