Arabian Business reported that five cases of heat stress were recorded in the last 2 months among workers of Emirates Aluminium which is running a health campaign to prevent such incidents among its staff.
EMAL said that heat stress incidents among staff had declined by over 70% to an average of 1 per month compared to last year, despite the recruitment of thousands of extra staff.
In response to soaring summer temperatures, the company launched a heat stress prevention drive involving an employee education program and the supply of high energy drinks and fresh fruit to its 18,000 workers at the world’s largest single site aluminium smelter complex nearing completion at Al Taweelah.
As per report laborers in the UAE will be banned from working on construction sites in the UAE between 12.30 and 3 PM until August 31st following a resolution issued by Mr Saqr Gobash Labour Minister to cut working summer working hours.
An average of 3.5 staff per month were diagnosed with the condition in 2008, compared with an average of only one staff member per month so far this year.
It said that the decline in cases was despite the average number of workers per month growing from 3,410 last year to 12,930 workers per month in the current year to date.
Mr Duncan Hedditch CEO of EMAL said that “We are committed to preserving our safety record, and our productivity, as the mercury rises and we work towards start of operations in April.”
Involving more than 40 staff training sessions, the employee education and contractor compliance program aims to reduce the risk of heat stroke and heat exhaustion. In addition to the provision of electrolyte drinks and fruit to workers to replace body salts and minerals lost through perspiration, EMAL said that it was also enforcing guidelines to ensure the provision of properly shaded areas for staff to lie down.
EMAL had also issued safety bulletins to contractors outlining mandatory requirements to provide workers with rehydration fluids and supplements before they board transport to the site.
As well as visual reminders in bus windows on the importance of rehydration, workers and contractors had also participated in health and hygiene audits.
A JV between Dubai Aluminium Company Limited and Mubadala Development Company, EMAL was established in February 2007 to construct what will become the world’s largest single site aluminium smelter complex halfway between Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
At the end of phase-1 in 2010, EMAL will produce 700,000 tonnes of aluminium per annum and 1.4 million tonnes annually at the end of phase-2.
(Sourced from Arabian Business)
