DAMAC Properties records 4.4 million safe worker hours at AYKON City

Mon, 30 Sep, 2019

Image: Construction workers experience simulated hazard-management trainings in the Virtual Reality Pods at DAMAC's AYKON City.

By implementing state-of-the-art tools and adopting the highest safety standards, DAMAC Properties, one of the region's leading luxury real estate developer, has significantly reduced safety risks across projects in the UAE and abroad. At AYKON City alone, the USD 2 billion luxury mixed-use project being developed on Sheikh Zayed Road, the developer has achieved 4.4 million safe hours.

DAMAC’s consistently high health and safety performance is a result of the developer’s exemplary dedication to workers safety since its inception in 2002. Last year, at the DAMAC Towers by Paramount master development, the developer celebrated 25 million safe worker hours, which was eight times more than the industry average of three million hours.

Earlier this year, Virtual Reality pods were introduced in AYKON City to simulate real-life hazard scenarios and raise safety awareness among workers. As part of the protective measures, DAMAC maintains the integrity of installed safety features like railings at balconies, ducts, and emergency exits to protect workers against falls. The developer has adopted a 360-degree approach to ensure workers' safety during different stages of construction by adhering to strict Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) standards. The company's project management division has put in place state-of-the-art safety equipment and technologies to ensure safety at construction sites. Besides employing safety measures such as shaded corridors for workers and biometrics scans to avoid crowding during entry and exit, DAMAC regularly conducts awareness campaigns and innovative training programs for its workers.

Niall McLoughlin, Senior Vice President, DAMAC Properties, said, “DAMAC’s ‘Safety First’ culture plays a central role at every stage of our business process. Whether it’s awarding construction contracts or conducting regular independent assessments by HSE auditors, at DAMAC, we believe in going the extra mile when it comes to achieving our goal of ‘zero incidents’. I congratulate the project management and HSE teams on this exemplary safety performance. We will continue to adopt new and innovative ways to enhance our health and safety performance even further.”