The National Guard Health Affairs in the Eastern Province conducted an occupational safety week that included a number of workshops, seminars and exhibitions targeting the staff of King Abdulaziz Hospital in Al-Ahsa and Imam Abdul Rahman Al-Faisal Hospital in Dammam. Dr. Bandar Al Knawy, the CEO of National Guard Health Affairs and the President of King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, said that such activities are result of the National Guard Health Affairs initiative to train and prepare the staff to be safe when working. Stressing that one of the top priorities of the National Guard Health Affairs is security and safety.
The Regional Executive Director of the NGHA in the Eastern Province Dr. Ahmed Alarfj said that for four consecutive days week the staff learned about security and safety systems throughout a variety of activities aiming at direct and indirect contact with the staff.
The activities highlighted the importance of applying these safety measures to ensure the safety of workers at all times in and outside the institution. All employees attended the activities. A number of exhibitions were set up before and after the week’s activities along with communicating with employees via their e-mails with flyers, publications, instructions and images.
The organizing implemented the criteria of the safety committee established in the National Guard that fully comply with international standards. They discussed the latest methods for protection against fire and hazardous chemicals, the best way to deal with materials and equipment, and appropriate safety measures when using medical equipment. These lectures and workshops highlighted the dangers that workers might be exposed to and how to prevent them.
Emphasis was placed on the need to provide scientifically sound means of safety and security on–site. Furthermore, they provided general recommendations the foremost was is the demand for more intensive research studies specialized in the aspect of safety, increasing training opportunities for workers in various establishments as well as encouraging staff through incentives and competitions to abide by the safety measures.