Deputy Prime Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa has affirmed that Bahrain, under the leadership of His Majesty King Hamad and the directives of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, is continuing to modernise its occupational safety and health system to ensure that it remains responsive to global developments.
This contributes to the provision of a safe working environment and the protection of human capital, which is a key asset and a foundation for development efforts and initiatives, he said.
This came as the Deputy Prime Minister yesterday inaugurated the 6th National Occupational Safety and Health Conference and Exhibition.
Organised by the Labour Ministry and the Occupational Safety and Health Council, the event, themed ‘Enhancing proactive protection through smart technologies’, was attended by representatives of civil society organisations, the three production parties, and several occupational safety and health experts and specialists.
Shaikh Khalid emphasised that government strategies in this sector prioritise continuous alignment with the requirements of rapid technological transformations through the ongoing development of legislative and legal frameworks, ensuring the adoption of best practices.
He highlighted that the shift towards employing artificial intelligence solutions and advanced technological systems has become an urgent necessity to anticipate and mitigate risks.
He also underscored the importance of strengthening co-operation with specialised international organisations and investing in scientific research and training to build capabilities to manage modern safety systems efficiently and effectively.
The Deputy Prime Minister commended the effective partnership with the private sector, which continues to produce positive and tangible results in compliance with preventive requirements. In this regard, he recalled the positive results of implementing the midday work ban during the current summer, which reflects shared awareness and responsibility regarding the importance of protecting workers from injuries and heat stress, while supporting sustained productivity and performance efficiency across various sectors.
Labour and Legal Affairs Minister Yousif Khalaf affirmed that developing the occupational safety and health system is a top priority within the comprehensive development process under the leadership of His Majesty and the directives of HRH the Crown Prince and Prime Minister.
Highlighting the particular significance of the conference being held during the celebration of the Year of Isa Al Kabeer, he said, “The early provision of safety care for divers through the floating hospital during the era of His Highness Isa Al Kabeer, Ruler of Bahrain and its Dependencies, represented a pioneering model in this domain. Current developments in the safety sector constitute a natural extension of those established values, which have been strengthened under the reign of His Majesty.”
The minister thanked the Deputy Prime Minister for inaugurating the conference, which contributed to consolidating its position as a leading professional forum for exchanging expertise and learning about the latest preventive practices.
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