Eight Industrial Facilities Resume Operation After Complying With COVID-19 Countermeasures

Eight industrial facilities resume operation after complying with COVID-19 countermeasures

Abu Dhabi, (Pakistan Point News - 04th Mar, 2021) Eight Abu Dhabi-based industrial facilities have resumed operation after being temporarily closed by the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED) after detection of COVID-19 infections among their workforce.

The closure decision had been taken in response to the directives, issued by Abu Dhabi National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management committee for COVID -19 Pandemic, concerning compliance with the precautionary and preventive measures to limit the spread of COVID-19.

In this context, the Industrial Development Bureau (IDB), in collaboration with the Department of Health and Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA), followed up with the temporarily closed industrial facilities to conduct comprehensive examinations for all its employees, to ensure their COVID-19 status. Those workers who tested positive, as well as those who were in direct contact with them, were immediately quarantined. The facilities were able to resume activities following the negative testing of the employees.

Mohammed Munif Al Mansouri, Executive Director of IDB, said: "It is the responsibility of all members of society, and in particular the industrial facilities owners, to apply the utmost care in communicating health awareness and compliance in order to combat the pandemic."

In addition, ADDED emphasised the importance of contributing to improving conditions for the full resumption of economic activities, through full adherence to the procedures relative to the pandemic, particularly conducting weekly examinations for workers, and receiving the vaccine. Over and above this, the continued adherence to social distancing and relevant sterilization activities of both the workers, and commercial facilities.

ADDED stressed the stringent non-tolerance policy regarding commercial facilities owners full compliance with the approved preventive decisions, whilst reminding them of the ramifications for violating these procedures.

Mohammed Munif Al Mansouri, Executive Director of IDB, said that the field inspection and surveillance team implement the closure decisions as issued by the Department. These decisions are made in accordance with the directives of the competent authorities, as a precautionary and preventive measure to curb the spread of infection among workers.

Al Mansouri highlighted that the inspection team of IDB, as well as representatives from the relevant authorities, including the Abu Dhabi Department of Health, implement periodic field visits to follow up the industrial facilities across Abu Dhabi. These measures have been put into place to ensure the implementation of all requirements of activity practice according to the prescribed procedures and instructions, especially the compliance of the industrial facilities that have been closed, with the application of precautionary measures and examination of all workers in order to take a decision of reopening them again.

Engineer Nabil Saleh Al-Awlaki, Director of Environment, Health and Safety at IDB, clarified that the IDB has issued a Business Continuity Guide for the industrial sector. The aim of which is to direct industrial facilities to develop business continuity plans, and how to apply them in order to reduce the disruption of production operations to the minimum, whilst ensuring the implementation of business continuity under the rigorous precautionary measures to curb the spread of the virus, which could be included in the facility’s closure.