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The UAE’s largest oil and gas industry company, Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA), announced today that it is trialling wearable technology in its annual programme to prevent heat-related illnesses among industrial workers during the hot Emirati summer.
This year, 50 volunteers working on EGA’s production line, one of the hottest parts of the company’s operations, are wearing devices to monitor key health metrics, including core body temperature, heart rate and sweat rate. Data is transmitted in real-time to supervisors and EGA’s occupational health team, and alerts are issued for changes in potential problems.
The use of this technology is expected to further improve timely detection of the earliest signs of heat-related disease and speed up intervention.
Heat-related illnesses are a danger to anyone who works outdoors in the summer and can be fatal if left untreated. EGA’s industrial processes generate more heat and must run continuously, meaning workers are on shifts every day of the year.
Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, CEO of EGA, said: “For many years, we have focused on preventing heat-related illnesses each summer. Through the commitment of our entire staff to this important work, we have significantly reduced the incidence of heat-related illnesses at EGA. and severity, and achieve zero cases in 2020. Wearable technology offers the prospect of zero cases every summer, and I am optimistic about this trial. While heat-related illnesses work with industrial processes that generate heat A particular challenge, but it is a danger to those working outside our country. I look forward to widely sharing the results of this trial and other lessons we have learned for the benefit of doing so through outdoor work for the good of society everyone who contributed.”
EGA’s “Beat the Heat” program is an annual summer program that runs throughout operations, starting with an awareness program to build knowledge of heat-related illnesses and their early signs for individuals and those around them.
Employees are tested for hydration before and during their shift, in addition to regular breaks and access to cooling showers. Cold rooms, drinking stations, ice makers, and portable air conditioning units in EGA’s operating areas help keep employees cool. In addition to reusable water bottles and electrolyte drinks, UV protection and heat rash prevention cream are available to help keep people comfortable.
In 2021, EGA documented two cases of heat-related illness requiring treatment at the company’s on-site medical center. In both cases, employees were rehydrated via IV drips and recovered fully within hours, the company said. – arab trade news agency
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