21 May 2017, Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi Airports has begun its heat stress campaign advising staff and contractors on how to cope with extreme weather conditions over the summer. The annual campaign will continue over the months between May and September, in line with the Abu Dhabi Occupational Safety & Health Centre (OSHAD)’ Code of Practice 11.0, on guarding against the effects of extreme temperatures in work environments during the hot summer months.

The company is holding lectures in Arabic, English, Urdu and Hindi at Abu Dhabi International Airport, Al Ain International Airport and Al Bateen Executive Airport, and displaying multi lingual posters and dehydration awareness charts, to equip workers with all the information they need to be able to understand and recognize heat related issues and safeguard against them. 

The sessions highlight the importance of workers taking more breaks in extreme humidity, drinking water frequently, monitoring their own physical condition and that of their co-workers, and wearing light-colored, loose-fitting and breathable clothing in fabrics such as cotton.

Safety bulletins on mandatory health & safety requirements are also being issued to all participants, along with sun hats, water bottles, neck cooling bandanas, sweat bands and protective arm sleeves. 

Ahmed Al Shamsi, Acting Chief Operations Officer at Abu Dhabi Airports, said: “Abu Dhabi Airports is deeply committed to ensuring that employees are protected while on the job by following high standards in safety compliance. This annual heat stress campaign is fundamental to one of Abu Dhabi Airports’ objectives “to be a leader in workplace safety”.  We continuously re-calibrate our health and safety best practices to maintain a secure and hazard free work environment under all environmental conditions, and to maintain the status of being a world-class airport operator.” 

In coordination with the Environment, Health & Safety team at Abu Dhabi Airports, the Gulf Center for Aviation Studies (GACS), the company’s training arm, is also training selected staff and contractors to deliver these important heat awareness sessions themselves, so that they can enforce the message and carry out best practices to control heat stress amongst their respective team members.  

The heat stress campaign was initially launched in May 2012 in line with the Abu Dhabi EHSMS regulatory framework, the ‘Working in Heat Codes of Practice’, and Abu Dhabi Airports’ internal policies and procedures.