United Development Q P S C : UDC Wins International Safety Award 2023

UDC Reaffirms its Commitment to the Best Health and Occupational Safety Practices

Doha - Qatar, 7 June 2023: United Development Company (UDC), the master developer of The Pearl Island and Gewan Island, has been honored with the prestigious International Safety Award 2023 by the British Safety Council. This recognition reflects UDC's outstanding commitment and efforts in the field of health and safety at the workplace.

Amidst fierce competition and with over 2,000 nominations, UDC emerged as one of the 296 organizations worldwide to receive this esteemed award with a Merit.

Eng. Abdullatif Ali Al-Yafei, UDC's Executive Director of Public Services, and Mr. Abdulaziz Al-Saey, HSSE Director, proudly accepted the award at the gala dinner held in Landmark Hotel, London on May 19, 2023. The event gathered more than 700 attendees, and UDC's dedication to safety and occupational health on The Pearl and Gewan Islands was recognized and celebrated.

Mike Robinson, the Chief Executive of the British Safety Council, praised UDC for its remarkable achievement in winning the International Safety Award 2023. This prestigious accolade recognizes UDC's unwavering commitment to adopting the best practices in Health, Safety, Security, and Environment (HSSE), and its exceptional efforts in ensuring the safety and well-being of its employees and workplaces.

The British Safety Council's vision is to prevent any work-related injuries or illnesses worldwide, and this requires more than just compliance with regulations. It necessitates a deep dedication to health, safety, and workplace well-being, inspiring others to follow suit.

The International Safety Award honors organizations that have demonstrated a strong commitment to health and safety practices in the workplace. UDC has achieved numerous milestones in this area, including completing 23.5 million man-hours without a lost-time injury and successfully managing major events related to the FIFA World Cup without any significant incidents. Furthermore, UDC has achieved an impressive injury frequency rate of 0.152, surpassing the target objective of 3.15. Additionally, UDC actively participated in the World Day for Safety and Health at Work, organized by the International Labour Organization, which saw the engagement of construction contractors and service providers at The Pearl Island. These accomplishments highlight UDC's dedication to creating a safe and secure work environment.

Amongst the achievements that contributed to winning this international award is:
• Releasing the first annual HSE performance reports - 2021 & 2022.
• Production of specific health, safety & environment induction booklet to operations, maintenance, and civil construction for new joiners.
• Completing 100% of inspections and audit plans.
• Producing various HSE alerts leaflets and conducting more than 200 health & safety trainings to corporate employees and HSSE department.
• Conducting 481 safety leadership tours to engage leaders in hazard identification and risk assessment in several locations and activities.
• Conducting 71 fire & life safety inspections and successfully completing 139 emergency mock drills.
• Organizing 426 health & safety campaigns.
• Handing over 184 safety recognition awards.
Completing a total of 357 public / common areas health & safety assessments.
• Recording an annual road traffic incident rate of 24.7 for every 1,000,000 vehicle entries recorded.

Through these achievements and practices, UDC clearly showcases its dedication to implementing exemplary health and safety standards. This includes the development and implementation of best practices that adhere to ISO 45001:2018 for occupational health and safety management systems. Moreover, UDC ensures that its business vision, mission, and operating model align with its health and safety responsibilities, ensuring a comprehensive approach to safeguarding the well-being of its employees and stakeholders.