Sharjah: Quarry operations and crusher works across the UAE will now be monitored from a central control room in Al Dhaid in Sharjah.
Dr Thani Ahmad Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, launched the central control room for the telemonitoring of the quarry and crushing operations to promote environmental sustainability.
The control room established for the verification of the compliance of all relevant facilities with legislation as part of the Ministerial Decree No. 567 of 2014 regulating the installation, management and operation of quarries and crushers in the UAE.
Using a state-of-the-art monitoring system for industrial facilities, the control room enables the ministry to monitor various aspects of the operations, including ambient air quality and noise levels, through remotely operated cameras and other surveillance devices with superior accuracy and clarity.
The system minimises effort and saves hours of work as it can monitor multiple facilities at a time. It also simplifies annual audits of the operations and helps ensure that all workers observe occupational health and safety requirements.
Through the system, violators will be quickly flagged, including those with excessive emissions of exhaust fumes from equipment and vehicles or dust from roads and operational areas to ensure compliance with the highest environmental standards.
“In line with the government directives to safeguard environmental sustainability and implement fully integrated infrastructure, and in a bid to consolidate its leading innovator status at the local and global levels, the ministry adopts best practices in various environmental areas. In collaboration with our strategic partners, we have implemented cutting-edge technology for remote monitoring of quarry operations and crusher works with the aim of protecting the environment as well as ensuring public health and safety,” Dr Al Zeyoudi said.
As part of the 2017-2021 Operational Plan, the Department of Environmental Audit at the ministry, in coordination with local authorities, will continue to inspect quarries, crushers and cement factories on a monthly basis.
