Dubai Aluminium Company Limited (Dubal) said it has achieved a major safety milestone with the completion of 10.3 million man-hours’ and 399 days of operation without a lost time injury (LTI) by employees at its aluminium smelter in Jebel Ali.

The milestone achieved on May 28, 2009, approximated 15.4 million man-hours when the safety performance of contractors’ employees engaged for project work on the site, over the same time period, is factored in, said a company official.

Clearly delighted at the record, Dubaal president and CEO, Abdulla J M Kalban, said, "From the outset, Dubal has paid special attention to safeguarding the health and the safety of our employees, while protecting the environment in and around our operations."

"Our corporate philosophy is that everybody is responsible for safety and this most recent milestone reflects the success with which this philosophy is entrenched in our organisation," he noted.

Kalban pointed out that Dubal’s overall safety goal was the ideal state of zero LTIs. This is in keeping with its stated commitment to “Zero Harm to People and the Environment”, he added.

The company’s performance continues to improve year-on-year, as reflected in the 24 per cent year-on-year reduction in the total recordable injury frequency rate (comprising lost time injuries, restricted work and medical treatments) achieved in 2008; and the 85 per cent reduction in the lost time injury frequency rate recorded over the four years to the end of 2008.

“Overall, Dubal has achieved a 96 per cent drop in LTIs since 1997, of which we are extremely proud,” Kalban added.-TradeArabia News Service