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Business News |Dubai |
Staff Reporter | Thursday, January 31, 2008
UAE construction industry creates new breed of
healthcare professionals
(Dubai Health & News) The amount of construction activities
initiated by both public and private sectors in the UAE is creating a
promising career for individuals who specialize in occupational health
and safety.
According to Pat James, senior consultant of Corporate Health and Safety
Solutions (CHSS Gulf), a provider of health & safety training and
consultancy, there is a high interest for contracting companies to
employ qualified professionals who can ensure that workers and the
general public are safe at construction sites and that their health is
not threatened at all.
The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), based in the UK,
recently said that there are currently around 2.3 million work-related
deaths worldwide annually, with the construction industry accounting for
about 60,000 of these fatalities.
"We can control the number of work-related accidents in
construction sites or even hopefully avoid them by hiring professionals
who are equipped with a NEBOSH diploma," James explained.
NEBOSH stands for National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and
Health, which is an independent awarding body based in the United
Kingdom. Its International Diploma comprises four units, namely managing
health and safety; hazardous agents in the workplace; workplace and work
equipment; and application of health and safety theory and practice.
James, who has considerable experience in delivering NEBOSH and IOSH
training programs worldwide, said that technical and non-technical
personnel still have the opportunity to become senior management members
or be recognized as an expert. "We have seen a lot of NEBOSH
certificate holders rising up the corporate ladder, receiving better
packages, and gaining industry recognition," she added.
One of them is Hakam Alotaibi who currently works as Senior Process
Engineer and Process Safety Management Coordinator at the Petrochemical
Industries Company, a subsidiary of KPC in Kuwait. Because of his
indepth knowledge gained from his NEBOSH qualifications, Hakam was
selected from 178 companies in Kuwait to sit on an expert panel for
hazardous substances.
CHSS Gulf is currently offering NEBOSH training programs across the GCC,
including Egypt and India. There is a pass rate of over 80% for NEBOSH
participants compared to the global average of 65%.
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Pat James, senior consultant of Corporate Health and Safety
Solutions (CHSS Gulf).
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