RTA adopts zero tolerance in safety procedures at sites

This has been elaborated in the extensive meeting held with more than 20 directors of contracting & consultancy companies, whose companies are engaged in implementing or supervising RTA projects. The meeting was attended by engineer Maitha bin Adai, CEO of Traffic & Roads Agency, Engineer Nabeel Mohammad Saleh, Director of Roads Dep't, and Dr. Khalid Hamdi, Projects Consultant at the RTA Chairman office.

Al Tayer directed the contracting companies to the importance of establishing centralized organizational units concerned with Heath & Occupational Safety, to be directly linked with the senior management of the company. "It is vital to have such a unit established in each project and have it affiliated to the Central Health & Occupational Safety Unit, and NOT the Director of the Project. The point is that such unit shall not be affected by the demands of the Project's Director to speed up work tempo; a matter which might result in undermining safety at sites" said Al Tayer.

He also directed to compile Health & Occupational Safety Directories at the overall level of the company and at the level of projects undertaken, so as to ensure that procedures of identifying, assessing and coping with risks related to Health & Occupational Safety have been established. He highlighted the need to study risks, including identifying & assessing of risks associated with construction methods, and maintaining a register of Health & Occupational Safety risks. Such register shall detail the recommended method of handling risks, including minimizing the volume of risks, avoiding risks through getting rid of underlying causes, and shifting risks to other parties by means of insurance.

The Chairman & Executive Director of the RTA called upon directors of contracting companies to provide all safety equipment & kits at site. "It shall be stressed that all site staff have to put on protective gears. Ongoing safety inspections have to be carried out in respect of all works carried at site. Emphasis has to be made to alert engineers, supervisors and staff of standards & stipulations of Health & Occupational Safety. This has to be carried out regularly and in the presence of representatives of the consultant and the RTA" he commented.

H.E. Mattar Al Tayer directed the executives of consultant companies overseeing construction of RTA projects to the importance of establishing an independent organizational unit for Health & Occupational Safety. "It is imperative to address Health & Occupational Safety considerations in the designs prepared for RTA projects, such that they will be easy to implement and will not make employees liable to hazards" he said. He also directed to review implementation disciplines prepared by the contractor from a viewpoint of Health & Occupational Safety. He also called for reviewing risks assessments prepared by contractors to cover identification, evaluation and methods of coping with risks.

Al Tayer asked for adding Health & Occupational Safety Directory to the documentation of all tenders and reviewing directories of Health & Occupational Safety in respect of contractors of each project. These directories have to include procedures of identifying, and assessing & coping with risks related to Health & Occupational Safety. Effective periodical audits have to be put in place to ascertain application of Health & Occupational Safety procedures at work sites.

Al Tayer stressed that RTA is on course to implement several road and transportation projects, and construction of such projects warrants full compliance with all rules & regulations of Health & Occupational Safety at sites. In this context Al Tayer hailed safety procedures in place at work sites of Dubai Metro Project; mandating all staff and attendants at work sites to put on protective shoes, helmets and phosphoric dress.

"A special location shall be made available for First Aid, and a doctor has to be provided to attend to healthcare of employees at site. Special places need to be set up where employees can have some break, and they are to be provided with drinking water and other amenities" Al Tayer said in a concluding remark.