Drydocks World-Dubai ship repair, conversion and new building yard picked up the Health & Safety Initiative of the Year award thanks to its efforts to consistently raise the bar in terms of regional health and safety performance.
The company has achieved this through its rigorous risk assessment and application of suitable control measures in all operational areas and activities.
Setting structured channels of clear communication to all employees from senior management committees and holding workplace pre-shift toolbox talks amongst other health and safety initiatives, contributed to Dubai’s premier marine service company win the award.
“Safety is our highest priority which is non-negotiable, it involves all of the senior management, right the way down to the workforce and everybody is just as important as everybody else, it’s a shared responsibility,” said Phil Baron, HSE manager, Drydocks World – Dubai, who received the award.
He added: “We have a very robust and comprehensive training programme from inductions to modular training, we also have a specific amount of safety training both internal and external which we’ve developed to recognised international qualifications.”
Drydocks World has also been the recipient of the prestigious British Safety Council Sword of Honour for 2009 for the sixth consecutive year.
Adjustments have had to be made in the effective dissemination of best practices in health and safety due to the diverse backgrounds of Drydocks’ workforce admits Baron but he stresses that it is all a team effort.
“Every human being is an individual, we have a multicultural workforce, we have communication issues but we train from the bottom up and each and every individual is empowered.
“I’m delighted, again I’m not delighted for myself, I’m delighted for our team and that’s not just the health and safety team, that’s each and every employee.”
