Business & Money | Saturday 2 May, 2015 1:08 am |

Under Embargo until 00.01hrs on Wednesday 29 April 2015


Workplace safety and health leaders in the Middle East were today set to hear how they can enhance their benchmarking systems and avoid the potential pitfalls of the process.

Benchmarking is a process where firms compare themselves against others. But Ian Harper, President of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), believes it is not always done correctly.

He will today (29 April 2015) address IOSH’s annual Middle East Conference on the subject. His speech will examine the common errors that have been made while benchmarking and how the lessons learned from these can be put to good effect.

Mr Harper said: “Benchmarking is an often-used process which involves your company being compared against others.

“But errors have been known to occur in this process around the world. There are several different kinds of errors that have been made by companies and I intend to look at these as a way of providing guidance on how pitfalls can be avoided.”

The conference will be based around the vital role that business leaders are playing in keeping workers free from injury and ill health. It is being held at The Address Dubai Marina, from 9.30am to 4.30pm.

Expert speakers will reveal how employers have already made big strides towards preventing workers from being harmed, using international and regional case studies.

They will also look at how other parts of the world can learn from the Middle East, as well as how further improvements can be made in this region.


Mr Harper added: “Businesses in the Middle East can avoid the pitfalls of benchmarking by looking at what mistakes their counterparts have made in other parts of the world. When it is done right, benchmarking is an important tool for any safety and health practitioner.”

Other topics will include the challenges in the utilities sector and handling accident and regulatory investigations. There will also be information on current initiatives, while delegates will have the chance to form new ideas.

The event comes exactly a year since IOSH launched its UAE branch, at the 2014 conference, with the intention of aiding the area’s safety and health practitioners to cut work-related accidents and illnesses.

Significant improvements have been made across many industries in the Middle East, where the average number of working days lost to an incident dropped from 26.2 in 2012 to 13.6 in 2013.

The Abu Dhabi Environment, Health and Safety Center (OSHAD) – the conference’s platinum sponsor – is one of many bodies which have worked with IOSH to bring about such strides. OSHAD’s Director General Dr Jaber Eidha Al Jaberi will deliver the event’s keynote address.

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IOSH is the Chartered body for health and safety professionals. With 44,000 members in 100 countries, we’re the world’s biggest professional health and safety organisation.
We set standards, and support, develop and connect our members with resources, guidance, events and training. We’re the voice of the profession, and campaign on issues that affect millions of working people.
IOSH was founded in 1945 and is a registered charity with international NGO status.