ADDEDs Industrial Development Bureau reveals 467 industrial facilities
The Industrial Development Bureau (IDB) of the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED) has announced in Q1 of 2020 a further nine high risk industrial entities have had their Occupational Safety and Health Management Systems (OSHMS) approved in compliance with the Abu Dhabi Occupational Safety and Health System Framework (OSHAD-SF) – bringing the total number of high risk industrial entities with approved OSHMS to 467 in Abu Dhabi.
The results were part of a report issued by IDB’s Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) Division for Q1 2020. IDB’s HSE Division is responsible for the implementation of the OSHAD-SF in the industrial sector of the emirate of Abu Dhabi. As part of this function the division undertakes the assessment of industrial entities for occupational risk and completes technical reviews of their OSHMS against the OSHAD-SF requirements in issues Certificates of Approval to compliant entities.
The report, which covers the first three months of 2020, reveals that 61 serious occupational incidents in the industrial sector were reported to the HSE Division. During the same period the HSE Division successfully inspected 205 industrial entities to assess their performance against Occupational Health, Safety and Environmental standards. These inspections help to improve the performance of industrial entities in accordance with the requirements of industrial licensing and occupational safety and health standards. The report also highlights that 127 technical documents were reviewed as part of IDB’s efforts to support new investors in order to obtain environmental permits, which are among the main requirements for obtaining an industrial license.
According to H.E. Mohammed Munif Al Mansouri, IDB’s Executive Director, IDB’s HSE Division conducts audits of industrial entities with approved OSHMS as part of its role in implementing the OSHAD-SF in the industrial sector. In addition, the HSE Division conducts routine and non-routine visits to check and verify the status of entities’ industrial licenses.
The HSE Division’s recently issued report shows that 47 industrial entities conducted External OSHMS Audits of their approved OSHMS in Q1 of 2020. These reports were subject to technical review by the HSE Division to ensure the audits are to the high technical standards required to ensure OSHMS implementation and continuous improvement.
H.E. Al Mansouri explained that key meetings were held to further enhance the awareness of environment and occupational safety and health standards in the industrial sector. These meetings, which were attended by representatives of industrial entities, looked towards clarifying the requirements of IDB’s HSE Division. The report demonstrates that 137 services for providing technical advice related to the requirements of industrial licensing and occupational safety and health were recorded. Meanwhile, 204 emergency drill reports were set to be reviewed by IDB, assessing their compatibility with the occupational safety and health standards. The bureau also held a series of awareness seminars, among which was a seminar related emergency response preparedness and one regarding the preventive measures to avoid dangerous accidents resulting from the use of lifting equipment, that was attended by more than 105 people.
The report identifies a number of initiatives implemented by IDB’s HSE Division, including the development of a guide for the business continuity plan that targets industrial facilities, which falls in line with the continuing efforts made by various government entities to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). This guide helps direct the industrial facilities to develop and implement plans for business continuity in order to minimize disruption in the flow of operations and to ensure the continuation of business amid the current situation of COVID-19 outbreak.
Al Mansouri pointed out that the ‘Business Continuity Plan Guideline’ has been created to help establishments gain a better understanding of how to take the necessary steps and prepare for the continuity of business activities appropriately. The guide, which includes key topics like human resources management, operations, job tasks, supply chain procedures, customer service and internal and external communication, has been developed to minimize health risks to employees and workers of industrial facilities, which in turn reduces the risk of the COVID-19 spread in the workplace.
In addition, the report features a number of projects that IDB’s HSE Division is currently working on, such as the project of improving the industrial sector’s performance levels in terms of health and occupational safety, which aims to develop human capacity within the sector and raise their awareness of the environment, health and safety; and to automate technical data and information through the adoption of an electronic system designed to maintain and update the occupational safety and health data of the industrial sector accurately and effectively.
The report also makes specific mention of the basic industries project, which play a key role in achieving industrial security and identifying the basic industries that help in attaining self-sufficiency through studies and analysis of the current strategies in place for food, medicine and energy security. In addition, the project will identify gaps related to providing enough basic industries to cover the emirate's local needs in times of crisis.
Moreover, the report showcases the project of implementing the ‘Estidama’ program requirements in the industrial sector and the development of a complete guide for the sector on the requirements related to adherence to sustainability standards, as well as the establishment of a mechanism to monitor the sector’s compliance with these requirements, which focus on reducing energy and water consumption, reusing industrial waste in the production process and improving the industrial sector’s environmental footprint.
According to the report, IDB’s HSE Division partnered with other government entities in some projects during Q1 of this year, including the full implementation of the Marine Water Regulations list in cooperation with the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD). A joint workshop was organized to discuss the application of the outputs of the survey and the requirements needed for the proper implementation of its executive regulations on marine water quality. The two parties also worked on preparing a joint guide in cooperation with the Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council (QCC) to set up the mechanism of how to collect samples of liquid discharges into the marine environment.
Another joint program of IDB’s HSE Division is the ‘Hassantuk’ programme, which was implemented in cooperation with the General Directorate of Civil Defense, to focus on installing a smart warning system— namely ‘Hassantuk’—in industrial facilities. The efficient system offers some insurance incentives which guarantee savings of up to 20 per cent of the fire insurance costs that are provided through packages provided by insurance companies.
In cooperation with EAD, IDB’s HSE Divison is working on reducing the greenhouse gas emissions from the industrial sector. During the first two months of 2020, the IDB’s HSE Division has completed the collection and analysis of data on the greenhouse gases of 230 industrial facilities. IDB’s HSE Division also collaborated with EAD to follow up the process of e-connection between the systems of industrial licensing and hazardous materials’ movement control, aiming to track the movement and the amount of hazardous materials that are used or produced by the industrial entities in the emirate of Abu Dhabi.