DAMMAM — The Eastern Province branch of the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture (MEWA) organized on Sunday the first scientific forum for occupational safety and health in the Kingdom. The event coincided with the international day of Occupational Safety and Health in 2022. The forum opened by shedding light on the efforts made by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD) to protect workers from risks and how the ministry worked on several projects, including the launching of the National Policy on Occupational Safety and Health. MHRSD also created the occupational health and safety cadres program with a plan to employ 18,000 specialists in this field. The ministry already employed 3,400 specialists in 2021. The opening presentation was attended by Governor of Al-Ahsa Prince Saud Bin Talal Bin Badr. The presentation included an affirmation by MHRSD to continue enforcing technical specifications in occupational health and safety in electronic fields. This is in addition to the establishment of the National Council for Occupational Health and Safety to bring together all government agencies, and the adoption of the National Policy for Occupational Safety and Health. The Council is responsible for following up on the implementation of initiatives, raising awareness on occupational health and safety issues, and also pushing for various Saudi achievements in this field. Risk-free workplaces Amer Al-Mutairi, the Director General of MEWA in the Eastern Region, stressed the need to spread, implement and enhance the concept of occupational security, safety and health in various fields of work in both governmental and private sectors. The primary aim is to preserve the safety of human cadres and protect the facilities, in addition to reducing injuries and health risks to reach a safe, risk-free work environment, and contribute in decreasing work-related injuries and deaths. Engineer Ibrahim Al-Khalil, Director General of the MEWA Office Al-Ahsa, noted that the forum was accompanied by lectures and workshops to introduce occupational safety and health systems and standards.
