RTA establishes Health, Safety & Environment Department

The Decision specified the tasks of the Dep't in preparing & drawing-up all policies and regulations of Health, Safety & Environment, as well as developing programs for assessing occupational and technical risks in the fields of health, safety and environment along with plans to minimize them. The tasks also include preparation of technical studies, master training plans for quality, health, safety and environment units, brochures, educative materials, media campaigns, and community education in the fields of occupational health, safety and environment.

In addition to the above, the tasks of the Dep't include investigating accidents, and compiling reports, as well as monitoring and inspecting quality, health, safety and environment units within its domain of business. They list also includes introduction of an integrated system of health, safety and environment management, participation in crisis management with the concerned bodies, and coordination with the external bodies.

The Dep't consists of three sections namely Health, Safety & Environment Policies Section, Awareness and Education Section, and Investigation & Inspection Section.

"RTA attaches high importance to occupational safety in projects undertaken and all business conducted. All RTA operational agencies have sections dedicated for quality, health, safety and environment directly concerned with implementation of safety & security measures at various sites inside and outside the RTA. Contractor implementing RTA projects have been obliged to introduce central organization units to cater for health & occupational safety directly linked with the senior management of the Co. and not the Project Manager, such that it will not be influenced by the demands of the Project Manager to accelerate construction process; a matter which might jeopardize safety at work site," said Al Tayer.

The Chairman of the board & Executive Director of RTA added that the new Dep't is independent from RTA Operational Agencies i.e. Traffic & Roads, Rail, Public Transport, Marine Transport, and Dubai Taxi. It undertakes assessment of risks, including identifying and evaluating all risks linked to implementation methods, as well as the suggested method for coping with risks. The Dep't has also to verify the provision of all safety equipment and systems at work sites, ensure that all workers at site put on protective gears, and conduct on-going inspections of all works done at site. It has also to focus on delivering continued educative programs for all engineers, supervisors and workers about the standards & requirements of health and occupational safety.

"RTA directed the consultant companies overseeing RTA projects to maintain independent organizational units to cater for Health & Occupational Safety, and take health and occupational safety aspects in consideration in the designs of RTA projects such that they will be easy to implement and will not subject workers to risks," said Al Tayer. He added that RTA highlighted the importance of revising construction methods prepared by contractors from a health and occupational safety perspective, as well as revising assessment studies made by Contractors, as far as identifying and evaluating methods of coping with risks is concerned.