DUBAI: In support of World Health and Safety at Work Day, the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry organised a series of events throughout the month of April to promote the importance of a safe and healthy work environment to its staff and members.
With an estimated 2.3 million people killed every year from work-related accidents and diseases and more than 160 million people suffering from occupational and work-related diseases the importance of proper health and safety procedures are vital.
To highlight the importance of health and safety, Dubai Chamber organised a series of training programmes to educate staff, organised a building evacuation drill and conducted ergonomics assessments for staff during the month.
This was on top of the Chamber’s other health initiatives, such as its Sehhati wellness programme, which aims to develop healthy lifestyle habits among staff.
During the 10-week Sehhati initiative more than 22 million steps were taken by participants – the equivalent of walking to the North Pole and back. The 40 participants also lost a total of 47kg of body fat, with unanimous agreement that the programme had helped them exercise more, eat more healthily and become more aware about wellness.
According to research by the Chamber’s Centre for Responsible Business, for every dollar invested in wellbeing, an organisation can expect a return of $2-$5 and a $6 saving on health insurance costs.
Speaking about Dubai Chamber’s health and safety month, Essa Al Zaabi, Senior Vice President, Support Services, said: “All companies today have an ethical responsibility to ensure the safety of their stakeholders. On the whole workplace accidents can be completely avoided if the proper health and safety practices are in place.
“Dubai Chamber has been working to raise awareness among its employees and the business community about this important topic and help prevent potential workplace accidents,” he said.
The International Labour Organization estimates that every 15 seconds a worker dies from a work-related accident or disease and 153 workers have a work-related accident. In economic terms, more than 4% of the world’s annual GDP is lost as a consequence of occupational accidents and diseases.
