BSU calls for firms to champion workers

BSU group administrator Elias McGrath said the initiative should create safer construction environments

Industry health and safety promoter Build Safe UAE (BSU) is calling for companies to register with its newly established focus group to promote and protect the rights of construction workers in the country.

Build Safe UAE Worker Champions will be responsible for promoting and creating health, safety and welfare best practice in their respective businesses. The Worker Champions would work closely with the Build Safe initiative to ensure that it is in tune with the needs and perspectives of workers. In addition to their respective discipline work, the Worker Champions will work with managers to support their respective businesses’ workers, their activities and welfare facilities so that the ultimate goal of Zero Accidents can be achieved.

Companies that have already registered and have committed to worker welfare and safety include Six Construct, Al Basti and Muktha and Al Naboodah Construction Group.

Story continues below

Advertisement

FEATURED COMMENT Please click here to comment on this article

Speaking to Construction Week, BSU group administrator Elias McGrath said, “We hope this project will encourage more direct engagement between BSU and the workforces of our members. By initiating a BSU Worker Champions group, we can promote the active participation of employees in, and raise the profile of, BSU in order to foster a positive safety culture and encourage the adoption of safe work practices. This will help ensure that BSU’s work is effective with, and relevant to, the workforces of our members. The result should promote and facilitate the creation of safer working environments at construction sites in the UAE”.

“Initially, we will pilot this project as a case study over six months to accurately measure and assess its impact. We will be inviting four or five companies engaged in construction projects across the UAE to participate. Each company will elect or nominate two or three workers to participate in the group”.

The Worker Champions will be responsible for disseminating BSU information amongst their colleagues, discussing how health, safety and welfare on site could be improved, identifying how BSU information could be made more effective and feeding information on operational issues and potential improvements back to management and BSU on a regular basis.