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29 March 2024

Dutco Balfour Beatty adopts SOR card system

Safety issues highlighted in SOR cards are addressed immediately. (EB FILE)

Published
By Staff Writer

Dutco Balfour Beatty has implemented the Safety Observation Report (SOR) card system on all its projects, according to the latest Build Safe UAE alerts.

SOR cards are filled up by employees and placed in an SOR box located in a prominent position on site. Issues addressed in a SOR card may range from unsafe acts observed by an individual on site to suggestions to improve safety on the project.

The SOR card is opened twice a day by the project manager or safety representative who reviews the content and any unsafe acts reported are corrected immediately. Best suggestions put forward by individuals are suitably acknowledged and rewarded by the project manager.

The system has been working extremely well with around 30 SOR cards being received from various sites, according to the alert.

It also said Bovis Lend Lease has encouraged the early works contractor Al Ittimad Foundations on the Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank Headquarters' Project to erect rigid barricading around the perimetre of open excavation.

The safety compliance was achieved by concreting reinforcement bar into footings and then welding the top and mid-rail into place to prevent fall from height, according to a Bovis Lend Lease release.

Another alert examined failures in mechanical devices and looked at a recent situation where a crane collapsed on a project site while lifting a two-tonne load cement bucket.

While no one was injured. Build Safe UAE recommended that in order to reduce the harm to life and property from crane collapses, risk control measures should be implemented such as getting driver/operator competence and crane inspection certificates approved by third

parties, putting up an approved lifting plan in place, conducting a job safety analysis and ensuring that the confirmation automatic safe load indicator (ASLI) is working at all times.

It also recommended the positioning of outriggers with base plate on a rigid/compacted soil and said proper positioning of the crane is the most important risk control in the first place.

Improper positions will force the boom below the stability rating.

However, the safety system of the crane, if working should detect the crane going out of limits and should display a warning to the operator. The load moment indicator must be operational, programmed correctly and not in the override position.

Besides the operator also must know how to read and understand it.

On March 16 Build Safe UAE will announce that Aldar Properties will be the first master developer of Abu Dhabi and Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority will

become the first regulatory authority from the Government of Dubai to formally become a full signatory member of Build Safe UAE.

Meanwhile, Andrew Broderick, Head of Health, Safety and Environment at Aldar Properties has also joined the BSU committee members as BSU Abu Dhabi spokesperson.

John Bullough, Chief Executive Officer, Aldar Properties will co-chair this meeting with Grahame McCaig, Chairperson of Build Safe UAE and General Manager of Dutco Balfour Beatty.