Cost of accidents at work could be 'horrendous'

Abu Dhabi: The cost of getting safety issues wrong could be horrendous, an expert has said.

Professor Patrick Hudson of Leiden University, told Gulf News at the fifth annual Engineering Excellence Forum: "The cost of getting safety issues wrong can be horrendous, for instance, BP's refinery blast cost $2 billion. But subsequently, their shares lost value of up to $25 billion. So reputation costs are much higher than the actual loss."

He delivered a presentation on creating and sustaining a proactive Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) culture in the workplace at the forum organised by the Higher Colleges of Technology.

In his presentation, Professor Hudson stressed the importance of safety, offering ways to maintain it in the workplace by identifying potential hazards and improving communication systems.

The internationally recognised safety management expert said there is an increasing amount of interest among oil sector companies in the capital to spotlight safety practices.

The main challenge ahead of countries in the region, he said, is the highly diverse workforce.

"The high number of nationalities will always be a challenge when it comes to enforcing HSE culture. But it is not an impossible scenario. We just need to get all different nationalities to work together."

The cost of introducing safety procedures is clearly a worthwhile investment, he said.

"Companies who invest in best practices are those who make the highest profits. Also it is companies who are honest in admitting their mistakes who make the profits."

Are you aware of the health and safety practices in the UAE? Do you think there is a lack of awareness regarding safety in the country?

Safety is ethically "the right thing to do".
Patel
Dubai,UAE
Posted: April 16, 2009, 16:47

Particular attention must be given to construction sites. I see unsafe conditions daily when driving along the street where are building or road works
E.K.
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: April 16, 2009, 14:34

health and safety is a must for the entire emirates since as far as this time atleast dubai and abu dhabi are trying and some are regarded as the best though, with the continous support from the government HSE issues will be enhanced.
Johnny
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: April 16, 2009, 09:33

Yes, there is a lack of awareness. But thankfully my company is having mandatory safety training for each year which keeps me well informed regarding safety issues. And I do confirm that I started looking seriously regarding safety issues only after attending these training course
Rathish Vijayarajan
Dubai,UAE
Posted: April 16, 2009, 08:21

Today there is no dearth of information about HSE Best Practices and methods of compliance enforcement. The only problem is with enforcers. Most HSE Professionals lack the conviction to stay firm on their resolve due to many factors like lack of support from their employers, who would rather take shortcuts than abide by the norms they have vowed to implement.As HSE enforcement begins at the Top, it would be very encouraging if all Business Heads were HSE Inducted by the Government of the land and made to understand the importance of HSE compliance.
Major Mathews
Dubai,UAE
Posted: April 16, 2009, 07:56