MUSCAT : In alignment with its unwavering commitment to promoting health and safety in the workplace and ensuring the implementation of the highest standards and best practices, Oman Electricity Transmission Company (OETC) celebrated the World Day for Safety and Health at Work, observed globally on 28th of April each year. The occasion serves as a global platform to raise awareness of the importance of occupational health and safety and to encourage institutions and employees to adopt leading health practices and comply with safety standards that safeguard all stakeholders. Each year, the global observance of this day adopts specific themes and slogans, reflecting global trends and developments across various sectors. OETC’s participation in this year’s celebration reflects its firm belief in the critical role of health and safety in achieving sustainable progress in line with national visions and aspirations.

This year’s celebration focuses on “Revolutionizing Health and Safety: The Role of AI and Digitalization at Work”. This theme underscores the role of AI and digital technologies in advancing occupational health and safety, minimizing workplace injuries, and encouraging institutions to embrace innovative systems that enhance worker wellbeing and operational performance. OETC organized a series of activities and events to mark the occasion, including a lecture on aerial inspection of overhead transmission lines using drone technology, a recognition ceremony honoring top performers in Health, Safety, and Environmental (HSE) reporting, an interactive quiz competition using the Kahoot platform on workplace safety, and a showcase of AI technologies designed to improve health and safety performance in the workplace.

Mr. Fahad Nasser Al-Kiyumi, General Manager of Quality, Health, Safety, Security, and Environment at OETC emphasized the company’s strong commitment to fostering a culture of safety, protecting employee wellbeing, and achieving the highest standards of compliance with all relevant policies, procedures, and regulations.

Al-Kiyumi highlighted the company’s most recent achievements in this area, noting that OETC has surpassed 55 million safe manhours since the last lost-time injury. This remarkable accomplishment reflects the diligence and collective commitment of all employees to maintaining and adhering to the company’s comprehensive HSE systems and practices. He stated: “We firmly believe that health and safety are foundational pillars of success in any organization. Continuous improvement in this area is a shared responsibility that requires deep awareness and full commitment. At OETC, we are dedicated to implementing the highest standards and initiating programs and activities that strengthen our health and safety culture. These include awareness campaigns, training sessions, field visits, alongside inspection and audit campaigns. Furthermore, we have embedded health and safety objectives into our institutional goals, ensuring that every individual plays a role and takes ownership in upholding our policies and frameworks”.

It is worth mentioning that OETC, a member of Nama Group, is the only company responsible for the transmission and control of electricity across the Sultanate’s network. The electricity is transmitted from production stations to distributed load centers in the governorates. The transmission network operates at a voltage of 132kV and above to cover most of the governorates in the Sultanate, whether in the north or the south. Furthermore, OETC manages the interconnection lines between Oman and the GCC interconnection network, which operates at a voltage of 220kV.