The practical steps taken to safeguard workers in a UAE quarry were demonstrated to safety and health professionals during a recent tour.
Members of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health’s (IOSH) UAE branch visited the Al Futtaim Colas (formerly Al Futtaim Tarmac) Shawkah Quarry in Ras Al Khaimah.
The tour included a visit to the workshops, where they met the mechanics and the supervisor. They took them through the process of how they assess the risks associated with activities and how these are controlled. These controls are implemented all the way through the organisation, from simple maintenance activities to stripping down gear boxes and transmissions of large machines.
The IOSH members were shown the quarry itself and heard about the profiling of the rock face prior to blasting, showing the use of modern technology to ensure every blast achieves efficient fragmentation ratios and is designed and conducted in a safe manner.
They were also shown the quarry extraction and crushing process, the transport management system that has been implemented and controls which are used to reduce the impact of operations on the local community and the environment.
Following the visit, UAE branch events co-ordinator Matt Jackson said: “In essence, the business has adopted and taken European health, safety and environmental standards to compliment local laws and have successfully implemented them across their Middle East operations. The business has also worked hard at supporting the local enforcement and federal authorities in adopting best practice applications.
“The team was very proud of the safety journey they had taken and as we made our way onto site it was clear it had been a long but very rewarding journey. It was clear that a lot of work had gone into developing line management and front-line supervision ownership of safety within their quarry operations to raise the level of health, safety and environmental standards on the quarry itself.”
The branch was invited to the tour by Craig Streak, regional safety, health and environment manager for the organisation and a member of the IOSH branch, and Graham Jones, the company’s UAE operations manager. They were presented with a glass plaque by the branch to commemorate the visit.
IOSH is the Chartered body for health and safety professionals. With more than 44,000 members in 120 countries, it claims to be the world’s biggest professional health and safety organisation.
Founded in 1945 and a registered charity with international NGO status, IOSH sets standards, and supports, develops and connects its members with resources, guidance, events and training.
