Working for safer lifting in Qatar
LEEA CEO Ross Moloney explains how positive engagement with partners can spread safe lifting practice in the Middle East.
LEEA will be unrelenting throughout 2024 as it engages with the whole industry globally to achieve a situation where zero accidents occur in our industry. It is always encouraging to see where positive action is being carried out to maintain a sharp focus on safe practice in regions around the world, which was an important part of the aim behind establishing LEEA’s Regional Councils.
In Australia and New Zealand, the Regional Council has worked incredibly hard since being established. With this council operating successfully, LEEA took the next step in our ‘hub and spoke’ strategy to increase greater local autonomy by launching the Regional Council in Middle East. By taking control over directing LEEA operations in their local areas the councils have strengthened the Association’s global credentials, and has enhanced our support to local members. In the Middle East, the council is focussed on increasing awareness of the Association’s membership with end users and procurement professionals.
Back in September, I attended the Middle East Regional Council meeting, hosted by Dynamic Inspection Company in Qatar. LEEA’s Regional Manager – Australia & New Zealand, Justin Boehm, joined me, as did our Middle East Member Engagement Manager, Amro Hassan, in what was a firm showing of the Association’s continuing support for the region.
During the morning before the Regional Council meeting itself, we also had the chance to meet with Ashghal, which is the Public Works Authority in Qatar. Established in 2004, it is responsible for the planning, design, procurement, construction, delivery, and asset management of all infrastructure projects and public buildings in Qatar.
The picture taken during the Ashghal meeting shows (from the left to the right) Ahmed Ismail (Dynamic Inspection Services), myself, Yasser Berzan (Ashghal), Amro Hassan, Mrs. Mashael (Ashghal), Mrs. Mariam (Ashghal ), Mrs. Radwa (Ashghal), Mrs. M Mullai (Dynamic Inspection Services) and Justin Boehm.
The aim of this meeting was to strengthen the relationship between the Association and Ashghal, which includes among its key responsibilities governing the design, construction, and management of major projects including roads, drainage and buildings such as public buildings, schools and hospitals. Adhering to the Qatar National Vision 2030, the Authority contributes to the economic and social development of the State of Qatar, with projects serving ports, logistics and industrial areas as well as communities in local areas. It is geared to ensure Qatar rates on par with the most developed nations in the world in the field of infrastructure.
Importantly, Health and Safety is among the four key themes driving the strategy – the others being delivery of excellent projects and services, moving from an outsourced to an insourced project management delivery model for projects and programmes, and a continuous focus on improving the value of services to customers and stakeholders.
With the award of the FIFA World Cup 2022, Qatar’s Health, Safety and Welfare performance became a key area of focus for the local and international community. The Government of Qatar has put in place improvement measures designed to set the benchmark for regional Health, Safety and Welfare performance. To support this objective, Ashghal must continuously design, build, operate and manage infrastructure, with the Health, Safety and Welfare of employees, contractors and customers being the top priority.
Engaging with local organisations and authorities in each country in the region, such as Ashghal in Qatar, and providing technical advice creates important strategic partnerships. We look forward to working with Ashghal and continuing our support so that infrastructure projects in Qatar involving lifting are carried out in accordance with best practice and with safety to the fore.
For more information on Ashghal visit: www.ashghal.gov.qa
