HSE has been at the heart of Drydocks World’s vision and mission since its establishment in 1983, and the company’s newly-appointed head of HSE, Saleh Al Balushi, is all set to continue the journey
As a global leading provider of Marine, Ship Repairs, Conversions, New Building, Rigs and MRO projects, Drydocks World, a Dubai World company, has played an important role in Dubai’s economy since its establishment. Now, it not only operates a massive and expanding yard in the region, it also continues to grow its global footprint, with a unique mega yacht repair and maintenance facility in Montenegro, the first phase of which is set to start by the end of this year.
The company’s vision is to be the global leader and destination of choice for Ship Repairs, Conversions, New Building, Rigs and MRO projects, and integral to this vision is its fundamental principle of “Zero harm to people and the environment”, enshrined as a core value, which sets the framework for its objectives and actions to continually improve. “Our goal is to make sure everyone goes home safe by adopting a zero harm approach, and building a culture where safety is naturally ingrained into our everyday actions and mind-set,” the company says.
According to the Drydocks World OHS policy statement, “The leadership in Dry Docks World is committed to continue the actions towards Zero Harm to People and the Environment within business. Dry Docks World strives to achieve Occupational Health & Safety (OHS) Excellence by ensuring initiatives are aligned with the best practices, continual improvement and DP World’s HSE strategy.”
The company’s mission ties in with this, committing to provide services and products meeting client requirements in an ethical, professional, safe and environmentally friendly manner, to treat all employees with respect, and to ensure a healthy, positive and safe working environment.
Its OHS policy statement and sustainable environment policy statement set out clear objectives to these ends, with defined KPIs to meet the goals of the company on an annual basis.
The company has also established a comprehensive Environmental Strategy which focuses on measuring and managing direct environmental impacts and preventing global climate change, in line with DP World and UAE Net Zero Strategy. Drydocks World embraces DP World’s commitment of Zero CO2 emissions to the environment, and it sets an annual target for the reduction of carbon footprint.
“I am so proud that Drydocks has enshrined HSE as a core value in terms of its mission and vision,” says Al Balushi.
“That makes my job as head of HSE easier in terms of implementing and communicating best strategies and international practices when it comes to health, safety and environment. This commitment is cascaded from the top, from the CEO, Captain Rado Antolovic, and his leadership team, to the entire organisation. Our main goal is to embed the HSE culture amongst the organisation and to make everyone committed and aware of how important HSE is for Drydocks World, both here in Dubai and across our global operations.”
Al Balushi notes the important place Drydocks World has in Dubai’s business heritage, stressing that HSE has been a core value of the organisation from the very beginning. “An important aspect of my job is to continue the journey of HSE success, a journey of 39 years, evolving year by year.”
This commitment to HSE is reflected in the number of national and international awards the company has received, including the British Safety Council’s Five-star rating and 11 Sword of Honour awards.
Drydocks world is certified to ISO 45001:2018 and the ISO 14001:2015 international standards.
All too often, HSE officers are hampered by a lack of support and resources from the leadership, but are held responsible for implementing daily safe system of work with their colleagues from other departments. This is clearly far from being the case at Drydocks World, where Al Balushi pays tribute to the CEO’s “amazing commitment to HSE”.
“Our CEO himself is leading it along with myself,” says Al Balushi. “In many organisations at different sector it is often the case that the commitment is not there – there might be a policy on paper, but in reality the commitment is uncertain.”
Al Balushi will take the opportunity to communicate this commitment at the MENA HSE Forum, taking place from 6-7 September at the Grosvenor House Dubai, where he will be speaking on the topic of HSE leadership, giving examples from Drydocks World.
Al Balushi expresses his appreciation for the production of the forum in Dubai, as a hub for the region.
“A lot of big names and companies are participating in the Forum, so this is a very important initiative for myself and others to communicate and share best practices, knowledge, experience and technology altogether in one place, as well as to discuss the challenges. It is great to have the opportunity to meet new people and interact in the coffee breaks.
“So it’s a golden opportunity to share knowledge and learn from each other.”
To register for the MENA HSE Forum, go to https://www.hse-forum.com/mena/register
