Beat the summer heat

Leading Bahrain companies Gulf Petrochemical Industries Company (GPIC) and Aluminium Bahrain (Alba) have launched a ‘beat the heat’ campaign as part of their efforts to ensure a safe and healthy working environment.

Several lectures are being organised by GPIC on its ‘Beat the summer heat’ campaign and posters in different languages are being distributed to employees and contractors, who have been urged to co-operate with the company to raise awareness on the issue. This event is part of the company’s commitment to ensuring an accident-free working environment in all its facilities and plants.

Alba, one of the world’s leading aluminium smelters, underlined its long-standing commitment to employees’ safety with the launch of its campaign titled ‘Together we can beat the heat’. The opening ceremony was attended by CEO Tim Murray, other executive management and Alba Labour Union chairman Ali Al Binali among others.

GPIC president Dr Abdulrahman Jawahery said the management attaches great importance to the health of its employees and promotes safety awareness during the summer. He said the campaign sheds light on precautionary measures workers should take to ensure their safety and the safety of operations.

Dr Jawahery said working conditions at the plants become difficult during the summer and they have to ensure the safety of the workers is not compromised. He thanked the organisers of the campaign for having taken all steps to ensure its success. He said GPIC has an exemplary safety record and it has never spared any effort in investing in their staff and providing training and care. He said this has helped employees to strengthen their work safety culture.

Alba’s campaign will include several visits by members of the management to operational areas to urge employees to watch over their colleagues during the hot summer months.

Mr Murray, said: “The summer months are a very difficult period and it is our top priority to ensure our workers’ safety. Through our continued campaigns, we are encouraging the ownership of safety and asking all employees and contractors to raise safety awareness”.

With the beginning of summer 2015, Alba had launched many initiatives targeted at improving safety culture across the plant, including summer safety awareness sessions in all operational areas, heat stress sessions during the SHE (Safety, Health and Environment) campaign ‘Safety Jungle’, a full day dedicated to Ramadan safety during the SHE week, as well as after-Iftar safety visits conducted by the executive management in the plant with shop-floor employees.

Meanwhile, Dr Jawahery thanked the staff that contributed to the campaign and praised the tireless efforts of the management at enhancing awareness among the staff on the importance of maintaining their health and safety, especially during the summer. He said this has helped maintain high productivity in spite of all the challenges.

Posters on the ill effects of heat and how to take care have been put up all around the complex and will remain in place for the next two months. Beat the heat pamphlets in three languages are also being distributed. The campaign also includes the distribution of drinking water, juices and energy drinks to the employees.