DUBAL achieves 8 million man-hour safety molistone

The milestone, reached at the beginning of June 2008, is particularly remarkable given that the project began in June 2006 and that, at the peak of activity, there were more than 3,000 people working on site - including employees of the 15 main contractors involved in the project.

The expansion project, tackled in two phases at a total cost of $236m, entailed a 32-pot, 22,000 metric tonnes per annum ('mtpa') extension of Potline 5, completed in July 2007; and a 40-pot, 40,000 mtpa extension of Potline 6, which was commissioned in February 2008.

The net result is an increase in the number of electrolytic aluminium reduction cells in the company's Jebel Ali plant infrastructure to 1,557 pots; and concomitant growth in production capacity to 950,000 mtpa.

The adoption of a 'Safety First' slogan paved the way to the safety record: as the project's management team puts it: 'If it is not safe, we don't do it'. Various safety initiatives have been introduced to identify and reduce unsafe acts or conditions. The Safe Practice Observation process, for example, aims to identify any unsafe acts which are then addressed through additional training, plus revised method and risk assessments.

Moreover, senior management within DUBAL's Major Projects department and the EPCM contractor, SNC-Lavalin, attend a nominated contractor safety crew meeting every week, during which safety topics specifically applicable to that contractor are discussed. Contractor employees are encouraged to ask questions and make positive contributions. This allows employees to experience first-hand the high importance that senior management places on safety.

Rewarding positive behaviour and good EHS practice by way of awarding safety badges, certificates and mobile phone cards has also contributed measurably to the milestone: it encourages employees to be more open to discuss any safety issue, rather than hiding unsafe acts or conditions.

Evidently pleased at this latest safety record, DUBAL CEO Abdulla Kalban says, 'DUBAL considers the safety and health of people - both employees and the surrounding community - to be its fundamental responsibility. This is encapsulated in our quest to achieve 'No harm to people and no harm to environment', a goal that by definition encompasses zero lost time injuries and zero fatalities. Safety performances such as that achieved by the Potline 56b expansion project to date prove that it can be done!'